Bucana Bridge nears completion

The long-awaited Bucana Bridge, spanning 1,340 meters across the Davao River, is nearing completion and is expected to open to motorists by the last quarter of 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced.

“Construction is already 94 percent complete,” said DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain. He noted that while the bridge’s superstructure is finished, minor works such as traffic barrier installation, pedestrian railings, and asphalt overlay are still ongoing. The 19.5-meter-high pylons have received their first layer of paint, and approach roads are being finalized with embankment compaction, drainage works, and guardrails.

The Bucana Bridge is part of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road, designed to reduce congestion in downtown areas by directly connecting Barangays 76-A Bucana and Matina Aplaya. Once opened, the four-lane, six-span extradosed bridge and its 860 meters of approach roads are expected to provide safer and faster travel between the city’s eastern and western coasts.

Built by China Road and Bridge Corporation under DPWH’s Unified Project Management Office – Bridges Management Cluster, the P3.126-billion project is funded through a grant from the Chinese government. Construction began in November 2023 and has been one of Davao City’s most anticipated infrastructure projects.

Sadain, along with local officials and project engineers, conducted a site inspection last Friday. The bridge’s completion is projected not only to ease traffic bottlenecks but also to strengthen connectivity for Davao City’s growing coastal districts.