Pres. Marcos leads opening of P33-B coastal road in Davao City

The project’s Segment A covers the coastal lines of Bago Aplaya- Times Beach Section (Talomo-Matina). 

With assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project is among the major road projects included in the Infrastructure Modernization for Davao City (IM4 Davao) that will provide support in the City’s urban infrastructure development plan.

It 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. Castillotge 

During the program, the President  conducts an inaugural drive-through along a part of the coastal bypass road.

Marcos in his speech said the project forms part of the Philippine high standard highway network, the goal of which is to connect all countries’ major islands.

He said the vision of the project is to ease traffic congestion and boost the economic growth that the city has been enjoying in the past years until today.

The objective is also to make the progress more inclusive and more relevant to everyone’s daily life through a highly interconnected road network, he 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.

Aside from transportation, 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 a milestone for the city initiated by the administration of Vice President Sara Duterte when she was still the mayor of the city.

Bonoan also acknowledge 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 towards the city proper hence easier and more efficient travel in and out of the city,” Bonoan said.

According to him, 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 seawave 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 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,” he 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,” Duterte said.