China to fund Davao bridge project

DAVAO CITY – Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said Beijing and Manila have signed the commercial contract of the consulting services for the conduct of detailed engineering design and construction supervision of the Davao River (Bucana) Bridge Project.

 The proposed Davao bridge project.

 

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian

Huang branded the signing of the contract as another milestone for the Philippines-China government-to-government cooperation. 

He said the China Aid Localized Project for Davao River Bridge is dual two-lanes with a total length of around 1,340 meters.  “Once completed, it will largely alleviate the east-west traffic congestion in the coastal areas of the city and divert about 35,000 vehicles every day, tremendously improve travel efficiency and help boost the rapid development of the local socio-economy. Moreover, it is estimated that 300 to 500 local people will be employed during the peak construction period,” he explained. 

After the contract signing, Huang said the consultant will carry out geotechnical investigation, geodesic surveys and data collection, and further complete the detailed engineering design. 

“The survey and design are scheduled to be completed within six months, and the construction supervision duration of the project is planned to be 24 months. Looking forward to seeing the Davao River Bridge serve the local economic development and people’s livelihood at an early date,” he said. 

In December 2020, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the Department of Public Works and Highways signed the agreement in which Beijing will grant some $60 million for the Davao River Bridge Project. 

The Davao River Bridge Project is the third bridge project granted by the Chinese government to the Philippines. The project will adopt the localized implementation mode, which means the Philippine government will be in charge of technical works and project management during the entire process. (Mindanao Examiner)