THE Public Works and Highways secretary said the construction of the Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) project, also known as the Samal-Davao Bridge will be started "hopefully before the year ends”.
“Before the year ends, we are hoping that we can actually start the initial construction [of Samal-Davao bridge],” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said in an interview with the media on July 1.
The secretary said they need to overcome some legal issues before the project will commence.
“There are some legal issues that we still have to overcome such as on the Samal side, meron pa rin issues from the landowners,” the secretary said.
Bonoan said "it appears that they are cleared" to begin building the project from the Davao side.
“We are now in the process of finalizing the detailed engineering design (DED) in a few months actually... we have already had the contractor on board and they have now submitted the design,” Bonoan said.
Notably, the Lucas-Rodriguez family, the proprietors of the popular Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort and Costa Marina Beach Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) contested the SIDC project before the Court of Appeals earlier this year but their cases were dismissed.
Rodriguez et al. filed a Petition for Continuing Mandamus, requesting that a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO), Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), and Writ of Preliminary Injunction be issued against the construction of the SIDC bridge. They are still awaiting judgment from the Supreme Court.
Despite this, Bonoan said he is “confident” the project will go on, clarifying it was not halted nor dismissed.
“We are still trying to resolve some of the issues that are being lodged, but we are very confident that the project will go on... I hope we have this resolution very soon,” Bonoan said.
Aside from the SIDC project, the DPWH are also working towards the JICA-supported Davao City Bypass Construction Project which will begin at Brgy. Sirawan, Toril, Davao City and will end at Brgy. J.P. Laurel in Panabo City.
The DPWH said it will improve the transport logistics and mitigate traffic congestions in Davao City with travel time of just 49 minutes from the current 1 hour and 45 minutes via Maharlika Highway.
The department will also prepare to construct the Davao City River Flood Control Project, which will start on Talomo River to Bucana River.
“We hope we can have arrangements within the year and probably start the project preparations next year (2024),” Bonoan said. (ICE)