Davao City Bypass southbound tunnel nears breakthrough

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the southbound tunnel of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project (DCBCP) is only less than two meters away from a full breakthrough, marking a major milestone in Philippine infrastructure development.

The breakthrough, expected this week, will complete the excavation of the 2.3-kilometer southbound tunnel, which along with the northbound tunnel completed in March 2025, forms the country’s first long-distance twin-tube road tunnel through mountainous terrain.

DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, who oversees flagship projects funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA), made the announcement following an on-site inspection on 22 August 2025. He was joined by UPMO Roads Management Cluster I Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista, UPMO Bridges Management Cluster Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, and Stakeholders Relations Service Director Randy R. Del Rosario.

“This milestone showcases the exceptional coordination, engineering expertise, and resilience of the Filipino engineers and technical workers, who undertook tunneling operations under complex geological conditions,” Sadain reported to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan.

Once completed, the 45.5-kilometer bypass is expected to cut travel time between Davao City and nearby provinces by more than 40 minutes, significantly easing congestion and enhancing regional mobility. The ₱ project is funded under the Government of the Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Loan Agreements PH-P261 and PH-P273.

Secretary Bonoan said the Davao Bypass tunnel is “only the beginning” as the country embraces modern tunneling technologies under the Build Better More program. He highlighted another major initiative — the 23-kilometer Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project, which will connect Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.

The Dalton Pass project will include 6.121 kilometers of twin-tube tunnels — nearly twice as long as the Davao Bypass tunnels — and 10 bridges spanning 5.828 kilometers. Procurement for design consultants is underway, with detailed engineering expected to begin by early 2026.

DPWH officials said both the Davao City Bypass and Dalton Pass projects symbolize the country’s entry into a new era of road infrastructure, one that combines engineering innovation and international cooperation to reshape connectivity across the archipelago.