Chinese firm bags P19.32-B contract for Davao-Samal bridge

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday awarded the P19.32-billion contract to China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to design and build the four-kilometer Samal Island to Davao City Connector (SIDC) project.

“We are more than excited to announce that with the signed contract, we can now apply for the loan agreement with the People’s Republic of China thru China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to proceed with the detailed engineering design (DED) of the Samal Island to Davao City Connector Project,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.

For his part, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil Sadain said CRBC is one of the three shortlisted qualified contractors.

CRBC bagged the design and build contract of the SIDC following the procurement activities held in November and December 2020.

“Brighter future is ahead especially in tourism with the implementation of the toll-free four-lane bridge that will significantly improve mobility and bring down travel time of around 25,000 daily motorists to only two to five minutes between Davao City in Davao del Sur and Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) in Davao del Norte,” Villar.

The contract was awarded during a signing event held January 14, 2021 attended by representatives from the DPWH and CRBC.

Sadain said that once the detailed engineering and design for the SIDC is completed, CRBC will start the 54-month civil works stage of the project.

The SIDC is envisioned as a modern bridge that will connect the Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, IGaCoS to Davao City in between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction.

Its main span measures 250 meters and has a vertical navigation clearance of up to 47 meters crossing over Pakiputan strait.

The bridge will also be supported by two pylons with a height of 73 meters.

The project will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from China at 80% and national government budget at 20%.

The project is among the big-ticket infrastructure programs under the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” initiative.—AOL, GMA News