- Sara vows Davao-Samal bridge will be realized by 2022
Mayor Sara Duterte is so confident about the 4.4-kilometer Davao-Samal bridge being built before her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, steps down in 2022 that she’s willing to bet her life on it.
“I already said that I will commit suicide if the Davao-Samal bridge won’t be finished,” she said in her speech in front of the business sector during the installation of Davao City Chamber for Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) officers at the Marco Polo Hotel on Monday.
She even dragged Chinese Consul General Li Lin in her pledge. “We will commit suicide together if that bridge is not up by 2022,” she said.
Li Lin previously signified that the bridge will get the full support of Chinese government.
Duterte is also keen on pushing for the Davao-Samal bridge along with 16 others big-ticket bridges under the “Build, Build, Build” program. The Duterte administration is planning to link the three major islands of the country through a series of bridges, which will be completed hopefully in the next three years.
“We have other nationally funded big infrastructure projects but are being pushed by the local government,” the city mayor said.
“These are the coastal road, which already has a bridge and just waiting for its funding for the phase 2, the JICA bypass road that will pass through the national government center that will be put up in Mintal, and the Davao-Samal bridge.”
The Socio-Economic Performance Report of the National Economic and Development Authority reports that the feasibility study of the Davao City-Samal Bridge Project, which will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, is still ongoing.
The feasibility study is undertaken by the Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong LTD (Arup) and is targeted to be completed in October 2019.
