DAVAO CITY — Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson Leo Tereso Magno clarified Friday night that the Bucana Bridge project is on track for completion by the end of 2025.

This is after an official from the Department of Public Works and Highways in Davao Region (DPWH-11) has been quoted as saying that the opening of the 1.34-kilometer Bucana Bridge would be delayed to 2026 from its original target of November 2025.

“As the new Chair of the Mindanao Development Authority and the Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao, I would like to clarify that this information is not accurate,” Magno said, adding that DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain has personally informed him that the project is, in fact, ahead of schedule, currently at 20 percent completion.

The Bucana Bridge project, which is part of the Davao River Bridge Project, has a target construction period of 18 months having commenced in the second quarter of 2024.

“Furthermore, construction will proceed without interruption as the project is funded through a grant from China Eximbank,” Magno added.

With a contract cost of P3.126 billion, the project including the approach roads is an integral part of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road traversing from Roxas Avenue to Bago Aplaya.

Scheduled for completion by November 2025, Bucana Bridge holds immense importance for Davao City in promising enhanced connectivity, improved transportation networks, and bolstered economic development opportunities in Southern Mindanao.