The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has reported rapid progress in the construction of the Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) Bridge, with the project reaching a 38 percent accomplishment rate—well ahead of its original schedule.
Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, who oversees DPWH infrastructure flagship projects, reported to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan that the SIDC project has already exceeded its target accomplishment rate of 16 percent, reflecting a positive slippage of 22 percent.
Funded through official development assistance (ODA) from the government of the People’s Republic of China, the SIDC Bridge is being implemented by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office–Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC), with China Road and Bridge Corp. as the contractor.
This toll-free, four-lane extradosed bridge will span 4.76 kilometers, linking Davao City at the R. Castillo–Daang Maharlika junction to the Samal Circumferential Road.
As part of the "Bagong Pilipinas" initiative under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to enhance national connectivity, the SIDC Bridge is expected to significantly cut travel time between Davao City and Samal Island, improve regional mobility, boost tourism, and stimulate economic activity across the Davao Region.
On June 27, 2025, Senior Undersecretary Sadain conducted an on-site inspection with UPMO-BMC Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, UPMO Roads Management Cluster I (Bilateral) Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista, Project Manager Joweto V. Tulaylay, and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden.
The bridge will feature a 275-meter main span and a 47-meter vertical clearance to accommodate marine vessels. Its marine crossing section will extend 1.62 kilometers across the water, supported by two pylons, each standing 73 meters above sea level. The full bridge design includes roundabouts, ramps, and approach roads.
The project continues to achieve key engineering and construction milestones. On the Davao side of the land viaduct, 73 out of 110 bored piles have been completed, representing 66.36 percent. All bored piles on the Samal side have already been completed.
Bored piling for the navigation bridge on both the Davao and Samal sides has been completed. Seal concrete installation for the navigation portion is ongoing on the Davao side, while the Samal side has already been finished.
In terms of marine viaduct construction, the Davao side has completed 12 out of 32 bored piles, or 37.5 percent, while the Samal side has completed 11 out of 44, or 25 percent. Ramp construction on the Davao side has also progressed, with 60 out of 133 piles completed, equivalent to 45.11 percent.
For pile cap installations, 11 out of 26 pile caps have been completed on the Davao side of the land viaduct, while five out of 16 pile caps have been finished on the Samal side.
In preparation for road widening along Daang Maharlika, fencing installation and the removal of existing structures and obstructions have been completed. Meanwhile, the Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC) has finalized the installation of primary and secondary distribution lines and is currently awaiting energization.
Right-of-way (ROW) acquisition is also progressing steadily. A total of 61 out of 69 affected lots in Davao City and Samal Island—88 percent—have already been acquired. In Davao City, 22 out of 51 affected structures—43 percent—have been secured, with the rest undergoing acquisition procedures.
With construction ahead of schedule, the SIDC Bridge is on track to become a vital infrastructure link that will strengthen inter-island connectivity and catalyze long-term development in Mindanao.
