The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started the civil works construction of deep foundations for the land and marine viaducts of the 4.07-kilometer Samal Island – Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, in his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, said that the project is proceeding the construction phase both in Davao and Samal side with the commencement of bored piling activities crucial for ensuring the stability and integrity of the bridge structure.
With the approval of the detailed engineering design (DED) plans for land and marine viaducts and navigation bridge, the DPWH Unified Project Management Office – Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) with its design-and-build contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has also started to work on the steel bridge craneway that shall provide access for the construction activities, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain following a site inspection with Minister Counselor Yang Guoliang of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines.
Also present at the inspection on April 26, 2024 are UPMO-BMC Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista, Stakeholders Relation Service Director Randy R. Del Rosario together with DPWH SIDC Project Team headed by Acting Project Manager Najar Imbin and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden.
As of April 26, 2024, the project’s overall actual weighted physical accomplishment is at 3.5%, with its DED Phase progress at 93%.
Targetted for completion within the term of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the ₱19-Billion SIDC project aims to provide a resilient and reliable transportation link between Davao City in the west and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) in the east, enhancing internal mobility and external linkage to support the growth potential of Davao Region.
The SIDC Project is a 4-lane extradosed bridge with a 530-meter main bridge; land viaduct of 570-meter on Davao City side and 395-meter on Samal Island side; and western and eastern marine viaducts of 350-meter and 510-meter, respectively. It has ramps tapping into the R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction, Davao City and a 24-meter wide at-grade road and roundabout at Brgy. Limao along Samal Circumferential Road, IGaCoS.
The bridge will be built with a 275-meter main span and a vertical navigation clearance of 47 meter over the southern corridor of the Pakiputan Strait. The marine crossing is approximately 1.62-kilometer with seabed up to 40-meter deep and its navigation bridge supported by two (2) pylons 73-meter above sea level.
The bridge will serve as a catalyst for progress and development, and drive economic growth in the southern Philippines by offering a strategic solution to the existing transportation challenges and providing a much-needed alternative to ferry services with a seamless link between Davao City and Samal Island.
