The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has awarded the civil works contract for the initial implementation of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project.
Secretary Mark A. Villar said the joint venture group of Shimizu-Ulticon-Takenaka will undertake the construction of contract package 1-1 covering 10.7 kilometers of four lane highway inclusive of 2.3 kilometer tunnel in the amount of P13.230 Billion within 37 months or 1,110 calendar days.
This bypass road will mitigate congestions in Davao City with the travel time between Brgy. Sirawan in Toril District Davao City and Brgy. J.P. Laurel in Panabo City of 1 hour and 44 minutes via Pan-Philippine Highway Diversion Road to be reduced into 49 minutes via Davao City Bypass, added Secretary Villar.
As authorized by Secretary Villar, the contract agreement between DPWH and the contractor was signed on Thursday, October 29, 2020 by DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations and Technical Services Emil K. Sadain, Project Director Virgilio C. Castillo of DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1, and Mr. Makoto Fujii and Mr. Gil P. Manuel of Shimizu – Ulticon – Takenaka Joint Venture.
The ceremonial signing of contract was virtually witnessed by Embassy of Japan in the Philippines Second Secretary Tomohiro Matsubara; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa; JICA Philippines Senior Representative Kiyo Kawabuchi, and other JICA and Japan embassy officials.
According to Undersecretary Sadain, considered the most significant component of the project included in the awarded contract package is the 2.3 kilometer mountain tunnel that that will run through the mountainous barangay to shorten the drive from the Davao-Digos Intersection of the Pan Philippine Highway in Toril, Davao City towards the intersection of the Davao-Agusan National Highway in Panabo City.
It is expected that Japanese technology such as excavation techniques for tunnel construction will be applied and our Filipino engineers and skilled workers may take advantage of acquiring technical knowledge and expertise in the building of the tunnel that will be the longest in the country once completed, said Undersecretary Sadain.
Davao City Bypass Construction Project will be funded by the Japanese Official Development Assistance signed last June providing the Government of the Philippines with a Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) Loan from JICA under Loan Agreement Nos. PH-P261 and PH-P273. Under the STEP loan that will promote transfer of outstanding Japanese technology and expertise, the main contract is Japan tied but allows a joint venture in addition to the Japanese company.
Secretary Villar said that by constructing a bypass road, this will be a driving force for economic growth in the entire Mindanao by connecting the port area to the southern end of the Davao City while avoiding the city center.
The entire bypass road with a total length of 45.5 kilometer is divided into six (6) packages: package I-1 (10.7 km), package I-2 (12.8 km), package I-3 (6.1 km), package II-1 (2.7 km), package II-2 (3.5 km), and package II-3 (9.7 km).