An official of the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA 11) confirmed on Tuesday that the procurement of the Right-Of-Way (ROW) and the conduct of geotechnical survey for the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project have been suspended since January this year.
“It was reported by the Department of Public Works and Highways-Unified Project Management Office (DPWH-UPMO) that the procurement of ROW and the conduct of geotechnical survey have been suspended since January this year. There are entry issues that need to be addressed by the implementing agencies,” said Maria Lourdes D. Lim, regional director of NEDA 11, on Tuesday.
Lim said some have already been negotiated in the Davao City side while at the Samal side negotiation is ongoing with a few property owners.
“Timeline, we are flexible but hopefully this will be achieved within our medium-term plan period,” she said.
Last week, Ramon Edison C. Batacan, legal counsel of the Rodriguez family, told Edge Davao that the civil works of the SIDC bridge project were halted due to the lack of the required Detailed Engineering Design (DED).
He said the suspension is not due to the issue of ROW but the lack of the required DED plan.
“Work cannot commence without the detailed engineering plan. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) cannot proceed without the DED, even without the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), but making the ROW as a scapegoat for the alleged suspension,” Batacan said.
The P23 billion bridge project with a length of 3.98 kilometers and four lanes and will serve at least 25,000 vehicles daily is targeted to be completed by the year 2027.
On October 27, 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the groundbreaking ceremony for the SIDC project that would link Davao City and Samal Island.
The bridge project is designed to be a four-lane cable-stayed extradosed iconic bridge with a total length of 3.98 kilometers including approaches with a vertical navigational clearance up to 47 meters supported by two pylons with a height of 73 meters.
