The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is planning to open the first segment of the Davao City Coastal Road before the end of May this year.
DPWH-XI Spokesperson Dean Ortiz, in an interview with the Madayaw Davao program, said the first segment will cover approximately five ti six kilometers from Bago Aplaya to Tulip Drive.
“Paningkamotan sa atong ahensya sa DPWH na ma-abrihan gyud ang first segment gikan sa Bago Aplaya padulong sa Tulip Drive na section sa Davao City Coastal Road by the end of May this year (The DPWH will do its best to open the first segment of the Davao City Coastal Road spanning Bago Aplaya to Tulip Drive by the end of May this year),” Ortiz said.
Ortiz said there were still small works left to complete the segment, including road approaches and railings, as well as the completion of the bridge.
“Kung kana na segment atong istoryahan, humana atong dalan. So ang ginahulat na lang nato karon is ang completion sa atong tulay (In terms of that particular segment, our road is complete. We are only waiting for the completion of our bridge),” he said.
All vehicles will then be allowed to cross the stretch as it will start to “serve its purpose as a bypass road,” which is to pass from one end of the city to the other without going through the city center and its busiest districts.
The first segment will end near John Paul College which had undergone a road widening rehabilitation and is now a four-lane highway. Ortiz said that although traffic will inevitably converge there, the distribution of traffic flow and road widening efforts are expected to minimize traffic jam around the area.
Although the first segment will soon be open to traffic, Ortiz said people who want to go on their excursions or take a stroll in the area will still be allowed to do so.
“Pwede gyud gihapon musulod ang kadtong mga gusto mag-exercise kay duna man tay esplanades. Aduna man tay gi-allot didto na dako na parking space para sa mga naay sakyanan so padayon gihapon tong purpose sa gibutang nato didto na park. Pero this time around lang gyud, dili na sila pwede maglakaw didto sa tunga sa dalan (People who want to do their workouts can still go as we do have esplanades there. We also have an allotted parking space for those with vehicles so the park will still serve its purpose. But, this time around they will not be allowed to walk in the middle of the road),” he said.
Out of the total 17.33 km length of the Davao City coastal road, 94 per cent of the work– in terms of budget spent –is already done.
The second segment of the coastal road spans from Tulip Drive to Roxas Avenue. CIO
