DAVAO CITY: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the unveiling of another major road development project with the inauguration of the first segment of the P33-billion Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project on Saturday, July 1.
The project’s segment A covers the coastal lines of Bago Aplaya and Times Beach Section (Talomo-Matina).
With assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project is among the major road projects included in the Infrastructure Modernization for Davao City that will provide support in the city’s urban infrastructure development plan.
The coastal bypass road stretches from Junction Davao-Cotabato, passing through the coastal lines of Bago Aplaya, Talomo, Matina Aplaya (Times Beach), Roxas Avenue Section to Santa Ana Wharf, then R. Castillo
During the program, President Marcos conducts an inaugural drive-through along the coastal bypass road.
Marcos, in his speech, said the project forms part of the Philippine high standard highway network whose goal is to connect all countries’ major islands.
He said the vision of the project was to ease traffic congestion and boost the economic growth that the city has been enjoying in the past years.
The objective is also to make the progress more inclusive and more relevant to everyone’s daily life through a highly interconnected road network, Marcos said.
“We expect that this will provide some relief to Mindanaoans, especially those who wish access to downtown Davao. This will help in transporting goods in and out of the city, making access to basic necessities easier for communities, for businesses and for consumers,” Marcos said.
The road project also features walkways, bicycle lanes, linear parks and public spaces.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan considered the project as a milestone for the city that was initiated by the administration of Vice President Sara Duterte when she was still the mayor of Davao City.
Bonoan also acknowledged former president Rodrigo Duterte who started the project under the Build, Build, Build program.
He said the project aims to provide the alternate route primarily to help decongest the chronic traffic congestion problem inside the city center as well as promote suburban development.
“This project when completed would be over 18 kilometers long on a coastal alignment along Davao Golf. It will interlink with other existing access roads leading toward the city proper hence easier and more efficient travel in and out of the city,” Bonoan said.
He said the coastal bypass road is a well-designed project not only to be a road facility but will also serve as coastal shore protection and breakwater that will protect the city from sea wave actions, water resurgence and soil erosion.
The implementation of the project started sometime in 2017 and continued on despite encountering several challenges such as delays due to right of way acquisition, the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, limited project funding and the other unforeseen circumstances, he said.
For his part, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte thanked DPWH for their untiring efforts and determination in undertaking the coastal by-pass road project which is part of the infrastructure modernization for the city.
Duterte said the completion of the first and longest segment of the project is a testament of shared commitment and dedication to promote suburban development and reduce traffic congestion in the city.
“With the opening of segment A, we now have a new road network projected to facilitate economic growth and ease traffic conditions in the heavily residential southern part of the city,” Duterte said.
“We look forward to the eventual completion of the rest of the road project to strengthen the overall reliability of our infrastructure and transportation systems in preparation for the expected growth in population and increase economic activity in the city in the years ahead.”
Source: Ruth Palo – The Manila Times | July 2, 2023