Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has described the scheduled opening of a segment of the Davao City Coastal Road premature, saying that the project remains unfinished.

In a statement, Duterte expressed concern as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) only opened two of the four lanes of the Coastal Road-Roxas exit to motorists.

“The Segment B of the coastal road remains under the jurisdiction of DPWH, as it has not yet been officially turned over to the LGU, primarily because the project is still unfinished,” Duterte said.

The city’s local chief executive said that according to DPWH, all four lanes are scheduled for completion by March 2026.

Duterte added that based on inspection conducted by the Davao City Road Project Advisory and Monitoring Board on Sunday, only two lanes are nearing completion. The inspection also found that streetlights, safety features, and traffic signages at the Roxas Exit have yet to be installed.

As of this writing, DPWH has yet to respond to questions regarding the decision to open Segment B despite the project being unfinished.

“The integrity and safety of public roads must not be compromised simply because a deadline has been carelessly set. Given this premature opening, we remind the public to anticipate possible traffic congestion in the area,” Duterte said.

“To DPWH: should anything happen to Dabawenyos in that area because of inadequate streetlights and safety measures, that is on you and your stupidity,” he added.

The opening of Segment B was originally scheduled at 5 p.m. on Monday, December 15, 2025.

However, DPWH moved the opening on Tuesday, December 16 due to safety concerns.

DPWH said the road will be opened to the public daily beginning Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. only.

“This temporary measure ensures all safety protocols are met before the road is fully utilized,” DPWH-11 said.

Segment B will be opened more than two years and five months after the opening of Segment A.

The newly opened segment covers the stretch from the Times Beach Rotonda to the Roxas Exit. Segment B includes the Bucana Bridge, which connects Times Beach to the central area of Barangay 76-A, Bucana.

The bridge was built using funds from a China aid grant and was constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation.

Authorities expect that the opening of the coastal road from Tulip Rotonda to Roxas Avenue will help divert traffic from Quimpo Boulevard and Quezon Boulevard, as private vehicles from the south can now pass directly through Roxas Avenue.

However, DPWH-Davao announced that pedestrians are temporarily prohibited from using the bridge due to ongoing electrical testing at the Bucana Bridge.