The on-going construction of Davao River (Bucana) Bridge in Davao City by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is rapidly taking shape, with significant milestones achieved just five (5) months since the project start.
In his inspection report to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the assigned engineers from the Unified Project Management Office – Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) and contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) have shown impressive display of efficiency and dedication in overcoming challenges and pushing forward the physical accomplishment to 15.7 percent since the civil works activities started on November 2023.
Senior Undersecretary Sadain, in-charge of DPWH infrastructure flagship projects joined Minister Counselor Yang Guoliang of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines at the project visit in Davao City on Friday, April 26, 2024, where both officials personally observed the progress for the construction of a four-lane, six-span extradosed bridge spanning 480.20 meters across the Davao River.
Also present at the project visit are Consul Jin Jun of the Consulate General of People’s Republic of China in Davao, UPMO-BMC Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista of UPMO Roads Management Cluster I, Director Randy R. Del Rosario of Stakeholders Relations Service (SRS), DPWH Bucana Bridge Project Team headed by Acting Project Manager Norifel Teddie G. Cadiang and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden, and CRBC officials headed by Mr. Ren Xiaopeng.
The activities witnessed on-site are the completed bored piles for abutment 0, bored piling activities for piers 1 and 2 which are about to complete, continuous embankment works including the installation of geotubes for approach 0, and construction of batching plant and temporary steel craneway.
Earlier, Secretary Bonoan and Minister Counselor Guoliang signed on April 24, 2024 the Supplementary Implementation Agreement to finally confirmed the general construction cost, survey & design and consultant cost, and project management cost that shall be charged against the grant to the Philippines on the basis of the Exchange of Letters signed on November 2018 concerning the construction of the China-Aid Localized Project for Davao River Bridge (Bucana Bridge).
With a contract cost of ₱3.126 Billion to be funded by the Government of the Philippines and China Aid Grant, the 1.34-kilometer project including the approach roads is an integral part of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road traversing from Roxas Avenue to Bago Aplaya.
Scheduled for completion by November 2025, Bucana Bridge holds immense importance for Davao City in promising enhanced connectivity, improved transportation networks, and bolstered economic development opportunities in Southern Mindanao.
