DAVAO CITY — The long wait is over!
The Philippine government and the Republic of China on Thursday, January 14, signed the commercial contract of the China-financed approx. $400 million Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project on Jan. 14, 2021.
In a press statement, the China Embassy in Manila said “The Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project, a long-awaited dream project over decades, is one of the key G-to-G cooperation projects between China and the Philippines and a flagship project under the “Build, build, build” program.
The project is a two-way four-lane 3.86-km bridge in the southern corridor to connect the Island Garden City of Samal to Davao City across the Pakiputan Strait.
The main bridge is 1.62-km long and will be designed in a cable-stayed structure with twin towers and double cable planes.
The construction duration is estimated to last 60 months. Once completed, the bridge will provide a resilient and reliable transportation link between Metro Davao and Samal Island, reducing the transportation time and enhancing internal mobility and external linkage to support the economic and tourist growth potential of the local region.
It will also increase economic activities and improve the livelihoods of the local people who have long dreamed of having such a bridge. The Chinese government and the Philippine government will soon kick off the loan agreement negotiation of the project.
The project’s groundbreaking is expected to take place during the first half of 2021. Newsline.ph
