DAVAO CITY (June 30) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is making substantial progress on the Bucana Bridge Project — a vital component of the Davao City Coastal Road designed to ease traffic congestion and improve regional connectivity across the Davao Region.
In a recent inspection report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, who leads DPWH’s flagship infrastructure initiatives confirmed that construction has reached 92.3% completion. The project remains on track for full completion by the last quarter of 2025.
“The Bucana Bridge construction is advancing steadily, achieving about 3 to 4% progress monthly. We expect it to reach 95% by July 2025,” said Senior Undersecretary Sadain. “This bridge is crucial as it connects directly to the Davao Coastal Road, making travel faster and more efficient while strengthening the road network throughout the Davao Region.”
The Bucana Bridge Project features a four-lane, six-span extradosed bridge spanning 480.20 meters across the Davao River, with a total project length of 1,340 meters including the approach roads.
With a contract cost of ₱3.126 billion, the project is funded by a China Aid Grant through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
On June 27, 2025, Senior Undersecretary Sadain conducted a site inspection to review construction progress and provide technical guidance. He was accompanied by Project Directors Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes of the Unified Project Management Office–Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) and Benjamin B. Bautista of UPMO–Roads Management Cluster I, along with the Bucana Bridge Project Team led by Acting Project Manager Norifel Teddie G. Cadiang and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden.
Representatives from the project contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation, and the construction supervision consultant — a consortium of CCCC Highways Consultants Co., Ltd., and the Chinese Project Management Company (CPMC) — also joined the site visit.
A major milestone was achieved on June 26, 2025, with the successful installation of stay cables across all five piers, completing one of the most complex structural components of the bridge.
Other key accomplishments include:
- Completion of structural connections between Abutment 0 and Pier 1, as well as Pier 1 and Pier 2
- Ongoing sub-base laying and compaction for the approach roads
- Construction of drainage systems, concrete fencing, and slope protection works at the abutments
Preparations are underway for connecting Pier 2 and Pier 3 on July 2, 2025, followed by Pier 5 to Abutment 1. With final deck connections targeted for July and substantial work nearing completion, the Bucana Bridge is set to become a transformative infrastructure landmark by the end of 2025.ed for July and substantial work nearing completion, the Bucana Bridge is set to become a transformative infrastructure landmark by the end of 2025.
