‘Build Build Build’: Ten roads that opened this 2018
SINCE President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in June, 2016, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the leadership of Secretary Mark Villar has built, widened, and retrofitted at least 3,945 kilometers of roads and 2,423 bridges.
This 2018, DPWH has opened key infrastructure nationwide:
The 4-lane, 6.94-kilometer divided highway, which connects the eastern part of Metro Manila and the towns of Rizal province was opened last November to provide an alternative route to motorists using EDSA and C5. The toll-free road reduced travel time from Bicutan to Taytay, Rizal, from an hour to just 30 minutes or less. The Laguna Lake Expressway is the first expressway to include a three-meter protected bike lane, a 1.5-meter sidewalk, and a two-meter wide planting strip. The road project complemented the widening of two bridges — the Barkadahan Bridge and the Napindan Bridge. The 50-year-old Otis Bridge along P.M. Guanzon Street in Paco Manila, was reconstructed, strengthened, and widened within five months, ahead of its February deadline. The bridge which serves as a link to vehicles traversing South Manila to North Manila as well as the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, and Mandaluyong was widened from four lanes to six lanes. Its maximum allowable weight was also increased from 15 tons to 20 tons to accommodate more motorists in the area.
The 4.12-kilometer Boracay Circumferential Road from Cagban Port, passing Rotunda to Laketown to Hue Hotel and includes the missing gap at the backdoor of Bolabog Beach in Barangay Balabag, was opened to the public last October. A total of 1062 pipes were also installed along the existing road network to increase capacity for stormwater and prevent flooding in the island.
The southbound flyover and left turn facility towards Pacific Drive leading to Diosdado Macapagal Ave helps ease the flow for at least 140,000 vehicles using Cavitex to and from Parañaque, Las Piñas, Cavite, and the cities of Manila and Makati. It is part of the Cavitex Enhancement Project which also includes the widening of three bridges – Parañaque Bridge, Wawa Bridge, and Las Piñas Bridge.
The Cavitex is part of a road network which will eventually connect to the 7.7-kilometer C5-Southlink & the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway.
A new arterial road in the province of Bulacan aimed at shortening travel time to and from North Luzon Expressway via a new interchange at Brgy. Burol 2nd, Balagtas, to the Philippines- Japan Friendship Highway in Brgy. Maasim, San Rafael, Bulacan, has been opened.
Phase 2 of the project which opened last May traverses five municipalities of Bulacan namely, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos, and San Rafael. Plaridel Bypass Road can accommodate 15,000 vehicles per day and cut travel time between NLEX-Balagtas and Maharlika Highway in San Rafael by as much as 30 minutes. 6. Laoag City Bypass
The 7.99-kilometer bypass road, which was opened this December, starts at Brgy. Buttong in Laoag City to Brgy. Pasiocan in Bacarra. The Laoag City Bypass, which benefits about 11,156 motorists per day, reduced travel time from Brgy. Buttong in Laoag City to Brgy. Pasiocan in Bacarra from 45 minutes to 10 minutes.
The opening of the 14.24-kilometer road section along Aringay-Tubao, La Union, will facilitate a scenic travel to Asin Hotspring in Tuba, Benguet, and Baguio City. The alternate route to Marcos Highway lessened travel time from Tuba, La Union, to Benguet from 2 hours to 35 minutes and will cut travel time from 2 hours to just 1 hour going to Baguio City.
Motorists passing through Barangay Rizal and Alog East in Tubao, La Union will no longer have to ride a boat to cross the Aringay River with the opening of the Anduyan Bridge, a 360-meter bridge along the Anduyan-Rizal-San Pascual-NangalesanAsin Road. The project, which is expected to decongest traffic along Marcos Highway, complements the Aringay-Tubao Alternate Road — providing a better and faster road network for motorists going to Benguet and Baguio City.
The Davao River Bridge (Ma-a Bridge) along Davao City Diversion Road, which was opened last May, reduced travel time between Barangay Ulas and Barangay Buhangin from 80 minutes to only 30 minutes and has benefited about 31,576 motorists per day since.
The 3.84-km bypass road that starts at the Junction of Davao City Diversion Road (Slaughter House Section) passing thru the Ma-a Riverside Road up to F. Torres Bridge has reduced travel time between Davao City Diversion Road and Davao City downtown by 50 percent, from 40 minutes to only about 20 minutes. Since its opening, the Slaughter House Road Project has benefitted about 2,000 motorists per day.