The coastal bypass road project is expected to partially open the first segment next month, and help decongest the gridlock in the southern part of the city.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) XI spokesperson Dean Ortiz in an interview said that as early as next month, the initial phase of the project, which is the Bago Aplaya-Talomo section, will already be accessible to motorists.
“We can assure that the coastal bypass road is rigid and firm, in which it cannot be easily damaged. That is something we have learned from before when a portion of a coastal road was damaged and part of it collapsed due to the habagat season. Somehow, we managed to fix it,” he said.
He also said that the whole stretch of the coastal bypass road is expected to be fully operational in the year 2022.
Maria Lourdes Lim, National Economic Development Authority XI regional director, also said that the 1.6-kilometer Bago Aplaya-Talomo section will further reduce traffic congestion in the southern part of the city.
The project cost is P19.8 billion in total.
According to Lim, four segments will traverse the shoreline of Talomo district going toward Poblacion district. Segment A starts from the junction of Bago Aplaya to Matina Aplaya, segment B from Times Beach, Ecoland to Matina Aplaya to Roxas Avenue, segment C from Roxas Avenue to Sta. Ana Avenue, and segment D is toward R. Castillo, Agdao District.
The coastal bypass road is composed of a 45.5-kilometer four-lane highway. It also includes two 2.3-kilometer mountain tunnels, two cut and cover tunnels at Cabantian intersection, and a 600-meter underpass at the Davao-Bukidnon intersection.
According to DPWH, there are segments in the bypass road that still need massive work to be fully operational.
