DAVAO CITY — A major milestone in Philippine infrastructure is just days away as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that less than two meters remain before the excavation breakthrough of the 2.3-kilometer southbound tunnel of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project (DCBCP).
The breakthrough, expected this week, will mark a historic feat in the 45.5-kilometer bypass project — home to the country’s first long-distance road tunnel system built through mountainous terrain.
The announcement followed an on-site assessment on August 22 by DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, who oversees flagship infrastructure projects funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA). 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.
In his report to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Sadain described the impending breakthrough as a landmark achievement not only for Davao but for Philippine infrastructure as a whole.
“This milestone showcases the exceptional coordination, engineering expertise, and resilience of Filipino engineers and technical workers, who undertook tunneling operations under complex geological conditions,” Sadain said.
The northbound tunnel was successfully excavated in March 2025, bringing the twin-tube system closer to full operational readiness. Once completed, the DCBCP is expected to cut travel time between Davao City and nearby areas by over 40 minutes, easing traffic congestion and boosting regional connectivity.
Funded through Japanese ODA under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Loan Agreements PH-P261 and PH-P273, alongside the Government of the Philippines, the project highlights the country’s growing adoption of advanced tunneling technologies.
Secretary Bonoan said the Davao twin-tube mountain tunnel represents only the beginning, as the Philippines enters a new era of road infrastructure built on innovation.
Another major tunnel project is already in the pipeline — the 23-kilometer Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Build Better More program. The project will link Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon to Nueva Vizcaya in Cagayan Valley and feature tunnel sections nearly twice as long as those in Davao.
According to Sadain, Dalton Pass will involve 6.121 kilometers of twin-tube tunnels — with northern and southern segments measuring 4.516 kilometers and 1.605 kilometers respectively — along with 10 bridges spanning a combined 5.828 kilometers, plus slope protection works.
Procurement for design consultants is underway, with detailed engineering design expected to commence by early 2026.