THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) held a ceremonial breakthrough for the southbound tunnel on Friday, Aug. 29, achieving a milestone for the Davao City Bypass Construction Project.
The ceremony, held at the project’s South Portal in Barangay Waan, marked the successful connection of its north and south ends, the DPWH said in a statement.
The 2.3-kilometer tunnel, a centerpiece of Contract Package 1-1, forms part of the 45.5-kilometer Davao City Bypass and is the first long-distance mountain road tunnel in the country.
The celebration follows the completion of the excavation works of the northbound tunnel in April 2025 and marks another milestone toward the full completion of the twin-tube tunnel, each with a 10-meter diameter.
To note, civil works began in December 2020, which was followed by a series of ceremonial kick-offs at the north and south portals held in 2021 and 2022.
Contract Package 1-1, awarded to the Shimizu–Ulticon–Takenaka Joint Venture, includes the construction of 10.7 kilometers of four-lane highway, the 2.3-kilometer tunnel, three river-crossing bridges, two underpasses, and six access roads.
To date, it has achieved over 61% and is targeted for completion by October 2026.
“We are grateful for the unwavering support of the Government of Japan through JICA, whose official development assistance has been instrumental in achieving this milestone,” Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said.
He also lauded the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the success of the infrastructure.
Leading the ceremony were DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain and Undersecretary Eric A. Ayapana, joined by Second Secretary Akito Kinoshita of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Consul General Ono Hirotaka of the Consulate General of Japan in Davao, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Senior Representative Keisuke Fukui, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Undersecretary Janet M. Lopoz, and DPWH Roads Management Cluster 1 – Unified Project Management Office (UPMO-RMC I) Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista.
Funded through a combination of JICA Loan Agreements PH-P261 and PH-P273, and counterpart funding from the Government of the Philippines, the Bypass project is presently 9.62 kilometers completed with 26.12 kilometers currently under active construction.
Located at the starting point of the bypass in Barangay Sirawan, Toril, Contract Package 1-2 (Sta. 0+000 to Sta. 12+800) spans 11.9 kilometers of four-lane roadway with seven bridges and one underpass and is scheduled for completion by November 2027.
On the other hand, Contract Package 1-3 (Sta. 23+500 to Sta. 29+700) directly connects to the tunnel and features a 5.5-kilometer stretch of road, one bridge, and two cut-and-cover tunnels. Completion is targeted for December 2026.
Contract Package 2-1 (Sta. 29+600 to Sta. 32+300) includes 1.4 kilometers of road and seven bridges totaling 1.3 kilometers in length, and is expected by January 2026.
At the northern end of the bypass corridor, Contract Package 2-2 (Sta. 32+300 to Sta. 35+800), which is set for completion by July 2026, involves the construction of 2.5 kilometers of road, seven bridges, three overpasses, and one box culvert.
Lastly, Contract Package 2-3 (Sta. 35+800 to Sta. 45+457.91) is currently in the procurement stage for the final segment of the bypass alignment that covers a 9.3-kilometer stretch with six bridges, seven box culverts, and one overpass.
Photos courtesy of DPWH
