DPWH proposes 65 km Davao-Cagayan De Oro super highway

Motorists in Mindanao may someday be able to drive from Davao City all the way to Cagayan De Oro (and vice versa) without having to pass through towns and other cities.

This comes after the Department of Public Works & Highways and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met and proposed an early loan provision for the Malaybalay Section of the Central Mindanao High-Standard Highway (HSH) project.

The project will span a total of 65 kilometers and will have a total of 5 sections that will connect Davao City with Cagayan De Oro City. In addition, there will be two long-span bridges which will allow for faster and safer travel in Central Mindanao.

In his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the Mission headed by JICA Headquarters Southeast Asia Division 5 engaged in a detailed discussion last week with the team from DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO).

The inputs of the Fact-Finding Mission through a Minutes of Discussion will serve as the basis for the upcoming Appraisal Mission which will facilitate a review of JICA for the proposed Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan financing for the project.

“We are grateful to the government of Japan through JICA, for the unwavering support to several of our infrastructure flagship projects, helping us to Build Better More to turn the goal of Bagong Pilipinas into reality,” said Sadain.

Of the total 65-km road project, the civil works for the first 11-km segment (AKA Section 1) will be funded by JICA. Meanwhile, the remaining Sections 2 to 5 (which will span 54 kilometers) will be funded by the Asian Development Bank.

Once this massive infrastructure project is complete, the Central Mindanao HSH will serve as an important link to connect agricultural products from the large plantations to the local markets and to the gateway ports in Cagayan de Oro City.

It will be accessible through the Butuan-Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Road from the north and Sayre Highway from the south. It will also have a 60-meter right-of-way alignment with 5 interchanges that will be constructed near urban areas.