The Chinese government has recently approved the Php 18.7 billion loan to fund the Samal Island-Davao bridge project. This happened on June 13, 2022, with the presence of the Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, as well as the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian.
A 3D rendering of the Samal Island-Davao bridge
Of note, the upcoming Samal Island-Davao bridge will eliminate the need to travel by ferry from the mainland to access the beautiful island of Samal. This of course will open up the said island’s tourism prospects to a wider audience.
And of course, it will drastically decrease the travel time to and from Samal Island, and thus will provide more convenience for its residents.
Going back to the bridge itself, it assumes a cable-stayed design with two main pylons which will have a height of 73 meters. In total it will span a length of 3.98 kilometers crossing the Pakiputan Strait. It will also have four lanes, and it will be able to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and four-wheeled motor vehicles.
Apart from that, the Davao-Samal bridge will still have a clearance of 47 meters. This will still allow ship traffic to pass through below.
Samal Island is well-known for its pristine beaches [Photo: Michael E. Peligro]
With regards to construction, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has also made an agreement with the China Road and Bridge Corporation. A target completion date is yet to be provided for the said project, but prior reports have stated that its construction will take around 60 months to complete.
Furthermore, the said bridge project counts among the outgoing administration’s largest projects. Its conceptualization however, dates as far back as the 1980s. In 2019, a feasibility study was also presented with regard to the Samal Island-Davao bridge project.
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