Construction of the Davao City Bypass in the Philippines has reached a new milestone on Friday (29 Aug) with the breakthrough of the southbound tunnel, marking the connection of its north and south ends.
This celebration follows the completion of the excavation works of northbound tunnel in April 2025 and represents another milestone towards the full completion of the twin-tube tunnel — each tube with a 10-m diameter. Civil works began in December 2020.
The 2.3-km tunnel, a centrepiece of Contract Package 1-1, forms part of the 45.5-km Davao City Bypass and is the first long-distance mountain road tunnel in the Philippines.
Contract Package 1-1, awarded to the Shimizu–Ulticon–Takenaka Joint Venture, includes the construction of 10.7 km of four-lane highway, the 2.3-km tunnel, three river-crossing bridges, two underpasses, and six access roads. To date, it has achieved over 61% and is slated for completion by October 2026.
According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), about 9.62 km of the Davao City Bypass is now finished, with 26.12 km under active construction. The project is targeted for completion by 2028.
Located at the starting point of the bypass in Barangay Sirawan, Toril, Contract Package 1-2 spans 11.9 km of four-lane roadway with seven bridges and one underpass and is scheduled for completion by November 2027.
Contract Package 1-3 directly connects to the tunnel and features a 5.5-km stretch of road, one bridge, and two cut-and-cover tunnels. Completion is planned for December 2026.
Ahead of most others and expected to be delivered by January 2026, Contract Package 2-1 includes 1.4 km of road and seven bridges totalling 1.3 km in length.
At the northern end of the bypass corridor, Contract Package 2-2 involves the construction of 2.5 km of road, seven bridges, three overpasses, and one box culvert. It is set to be completed by July 2026.
Lastly, Contract Package 2-3 is currently in the procurement stage for the final segment of the bypass alignment that covers 9.3-km stretch with six bridges, seven box culverts, and one overpass.
Image: DPWH
