THE Philippines and China sign the commercial contract for the Davao River Bridge, according to the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian.
In an online statement on Tuesday, July 5, Xilian said the commercial contract is for the Consulting Services for the Conduct of Detailed Engineering Design and Construction Supervision for the China Aid Localized Project for Davao River Bridge.
“After signing the Contract, the Consultant will carry out geotechnical investigation, geodesic surveys and data collection, and further complete the detailed engineering design,” Xilian said in the statement.
The surveys and design leg of the project are scheduled to be completed in six months, while the construction supervision is targeted to last for 24 months or two years.
Also known as the Bucana Bridge, it will have dual two-lane roads with a total length of 1,340m located at the estuary of Davao River in Davao City.
According to Xilian, once the project is completed, it will improve traffic congestion in the east-west coastal areas of the city by diverting around 35,000 vehicles per day. An estimate of 300 to 500 Dabawenyos is also expected to benefit as employees of the construction project.
“(It will) tremendously improve travel efficiency and help boost the rapid development of the local socio-economy,” Xilian said.
Last December 9, 2021, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the Department of Public Works and Highways signed an agreement that the Chinese government will grant approximately 60 million US dollars for the Davao River Bridge project.
The project is part of the government-to-government cooperation of China and the Philippines which also paved the way for the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge project and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge project in the National Capital Region. ICM