DPWH speeds up Bukidnon-Davao bypass road

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon. INQUIRER PHOTO VALENCIA CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is fast-tracking the construction of a temporary bypass along the landslide-hit Bukidnon-Davao (Buda) highway in Davao City to restore access for light vehicles and buses while engineers work on a long-term solution. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who inspected the damaged road in Sitio Marahan, Barangay Marilog, on Thursday, said DPWH engineers are finalizing the bypass design, with construction scheduled to begin on Monday. Article continues after this advertisement The temporary access road will utilize the remaining 6-meter-wide portion of the highway and is expected to reopen the route to light vehicles and buses within the next few weeks. “We need to reopen this to light vehicles and buses to ease the burden of travelers. The (current) detour is admittedly difficult as it is (at least) 9 km compared to only three (with the planned temporary road), and the road is narrow, which slows down travel,” Dizon, speaking in Filipino, told reporters. The Marahan section of the Buda highway has been impassable since July 17, when a massive landslide triggered by days of heavy rain caused a portion of the road to collapse, severing one of Mindanao’s most vital transport corridors linking the Davao and Northern Mindanao regions. For the permanent rehabilitation, Dizon said the DPWH is working with Japanese consultants to study long-term slope stabilization measures while geotechnical investigations are underway. DPWH Region 11 spokesperson Dean Ortiz urged motorists to use designated alternate routes until the temporary bypass is completed. Article continues after this advertisement Motorists traveling to Davao City may take the 10.4-km Camp Uno-Katipunan-Datu Ladayon-Marahan route, while those bound for Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro can use the 5.3-kilometer Marahan-Datu Ladayon-Ladian road. Heavy trucks, however, have been advised to take the longer Sayre Highway via Kabacan, Cotabato, adding roughly 100 kilometers to their journey. Article continues after this advertisement Bus operations between Cagayan de Oro and Davao have also been disrupted, with passengers transferring to another bus at Marahan to continue their trip from either side of the damaged highway. Business leaders warned that the prolonged closure is taking a growing toll on commerce across Bukidnon and neighboring regions. Transport costs Carmen Yap, president of the Valencia City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association Inc., said transport costs have surged as delivery trucks consume more fuel while navigating longer alternate routes. She added that businesses have also begun experiencing delivery delays, particularly for goods moving between Bukidnon and Davao. Although supplies can be sourced from Cagayan de Oro, Yap said many traders prefer Davao because it is closer and offers less congested transport routes. The disruption has slowed the shipment of agricultural products to Davao Region, General Santos City and South Cotabato, while increasing operating costs for small and medium enterprises. The chamber said the situation recalls the three-month closure of the Buda highway after a road collapse in Quezon, Bukidnon, in October last year, when government economists estimated daily economic losses in Northern Mindanao at P187 million. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. Travel conditions have been further complicated by the closure of other alternate routes.