P2.34-B access road to connect Tarlac, Zambales

TARLAC CITY, TARLAC — A 36.925-kilometer access road worth P2.34 billion is seen to connect the provinces of Tarlac and Zambales is now on the way as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently inspected the area.

This is a multi-year project segmented into phases. It received its initial budget of P600 million at the start of construction of the Tarlac side in 2018 which has posted 100 percent accomplishment.

According to DPWH Tarlac 1st District Engineer Erelina Santos, the by-pass road connecting the towns of San Jose in Tarlac and Palauig in Zambales will accelerate the movement of people and commerce between the two provinces with the tourism industry expected to have the biggest boost as it has been on a slump due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“This is a multi-year project segmented into phases. It received its initial budget of P600 million at the start of construction of the Tarlac side in 2018 which has posted 100 percent accomplishment,” Santos said.

The DPWH official further stated that the second tranche of the P200-million fund for 2019 is already 70 percent completed, while P770 million of the budget will be allotted for the third tranche in 2020 of which will be used for the continuation of the construction on the Tarlac side of the access road.

Santos added that funding for the fourth and fifth tranches for the project will be released in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Tarlac 2nd District Representative Victor Yap, who was also part of the inspection group, meanwhile, expressed elation over the quality and accomplishment of the undertaking he said will greatly benefit the province and people of Tarlac.

“Our infrastructures have greatly helped Tarlac restore its greatness as a province economically and will boost self-sufficiency as these projects have been providing jobs to our local laborers. Of course, quality roads provide access to foreign and local tourists so we look forward to building more infrastructure projects in partnership with DPWH Tarlac 1st District Engineering Office,” said the lawmaker.

In a statement, DPWH Regional Director Roseller Tolentino emphasized that the pursuit and completion of infrastructure projects is a great boost to the country’s economy as it recovers from the COVID-19 health crisis.