CONSTRUCTION of the Davao River Bridge, also known as the Bucana Bridge, is now 99.2 percent complete, marking a major milestone in the project. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to fast-track the remaining works to help decongest traffic and enhance connectivity between Davao City’s eastern and western coastal zones. Photograph courtesy of DPWH
NATION

Mindanao roads near completion

Maria Bernadette Romero

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is preparing to open major components of the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP), with the Guicam Bridge Project now 91.9 percent complete and the R.T. Lim–Siocon Road set for public use by December.

The Guicam Bridge, one of the largest structures under the IGCMRSP, will connect Olutanga Island — including Olutanga, Talusan, and Mabuhay — to mainland Zamboanga Sibugay. Once opened, it is expected to enhance mobility and improve access to essential services.

Another key component, the 24-kilometer R.T. Lim–Siocon Road, is also nearing completion.

The route will connect R.T. Lim in Zamboanga Sibugay to Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte, reducing transportation costs, strengthening trade links, and facilitating the movement of people and goods between the two provinces.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank and implemented by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office Roads Management Cluster 2, the IGCMRSP aims to expand the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area road network, unlock the region’s economic potential, and strengthen peace and order in Mindanao.