DAVAO CITY, Davao
— A superhighway running parallel to the existing diversion road is envisioned as the ultimate solution to the high traffic growth rate now besetting the continued fast urbanization of Davao City. City Planning and Development Coordinator Mario Luis J. Jacinto said the proposed 44-kilometer highway bypass project will facilitate the travel of people and transportation of commodities from Bunawan to Sirawan.
He said that travelers who want to go in Davao del Sur and Bukidnon can use the highway which has 30 meters expansion where trucks and other vehicles can traverse.
“Ang intention niya, if you don’t have any business going to congested areas now or on developed areas sa existing national road system then you pass that way,” said Jacinto.
He said that the proposed road will have a tunnel structures in of one its sections. The sections will cover the areas of Waan, Magtuod and Langub.
“These are the high elevation areas across Davao River from north to south,” Jacinto said.
He said that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is now on its final stage of feasibility study that would be done in the middle of the year.
Jacinto said that the result of proposal will depend on the outcome of the study and the priority of the national government.
“Because it is part of the bilateral agreement, of course, JICA is very aggressive on it because they are really pushing for it,” he said.
Jacinto said that JICA sent their technical teams to conduct ground surveys, alignment surveys and inventory of possible land ownership. He added that city government has also sent their technical working teams to assist JICA.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has earlier released a report indicating that while “major urban roads in Davao City have four lanes, these are insufficient to ease severe traffic congestion.”
“Traffic from and to Sasa and Panabo ports is also frequently experiencing congestion, affecting transportation of goods,” the report said.
“As of the present, the traffic condition (along these roads) in spite of being widened to the maximum possible width, tends to slow down at snail pace during peak hours. On non-peak hours, the traffic is still manageable. But with the high traffic growth rate in the area, the roads will soon be congested most of the time,” it added.
source: Edge Davao
