First section of Davao Coastal Road to open in 2023

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region 11 said that the first section of the Davao Coastal Road – from Bago Aplaya to Tulip Drive – will open to the public in the first or second quarter of next year.

This will hopefully ease heavy traffic conditions along McArthur Highway and Diversion Road.

“Siguro mga Marso or Abril naa diha nga mga bulana, ma-open na nato ang first section aron mahatagan na nato og alibyo ang traffic diha banda (Maybe around March or April, during those months we can already open the first section so that we can also ease the heavy traffic around that area),” DPWH 11 spokesperson Dean Ortiz said in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday.

He added that as of the moment, the vital part of the work is connecting Barangay Talomo and Matina Aplaya via the Aplaya Bridge. Only a few meters needed to be accomplished for its completion,

Ortiz also said that some big-ticket projects are ongoing simultaneously with the Davao City Coastal Road to remedy the heavy traffic situation in downtown Davao. These are the Maa Flyover, the Ulas Viaduct, and the Davao Bypass Road.

Ortiz said that the Maa Flyover is already in the initial phases of construction and most of the work of the contractors is on the ground. More or less, the duration of the construction is expected to be the same as that of the Tagum Flyover, which started in 2017, finished in late 2021, and was opened to the public in 2022.

Ortiz added that “bored piling” that covers four lanes from Junction Puan Bypass to the Davao-Cotabato Road is being done for the Ulas Viaduct.

“Ang bored piling mag take gyud na siya og four lanes. Mao nga nasirad-an gyud nang tibuok stretch gikan Junction Bypass padulong Puan to Davao Cotabato Road nga section kay gihimo gyud nato nga working area although naay areas nga passable pero we do not recommend it kay expose pud sa danger atong motorista tungod sa kalalom sa kalot. (The bored piling will take four lanes, which is why the whole stretch of the Junction Bypass going Puan to the Davao-Cotabato Road became our working area. While there are areas passable, we do not recommend using it because it might pose danger to our motorist due to the depth of the excavations),” he said.

Ortiz is asking the public to be more patient while construction is ongoing

“Gamayng sakripisyo lang kay ang atong ginabuhat na Ulas Viaduct ato manang ginatuyo aron ang gikan sa Davao-Bukidnon Road kanang padulong north diha na sa Coastal Road diretso via sa Viaduct. (It will require a little sacrifice because the Ulas Viaduct will provide easy access for those who are from the Davao-Bukidnon Road, those who are north , to immediately proceed to the Coastal Road directly via the Viaduct),” Ortiz said.

He also said that the twin tunnels for the Davao Bypass Road Project –more or less 200 meters on each side have already been accomplished. The twin tunnels will have a total length of 2.3 kilometers each. It forms part of the 43-kilometer Davao Bypass Road Project going to Panabo. CIO