Construction work to widen from two (2) to four (4) lanes the Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road linking North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway or Daang Maharlika in the Province of Bulacan is moving ahead swiftly.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the road widening project aims to account for increased traffic and make travel at the 22.46-kilometer Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road more efficient.
The road network has provided trickling economic benefits to the traversed five (5) municipalities of Bulacan namely, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos and San Rafael with the area transformed into commercial and industrial centers creating jobs and connecting people to major employment areas and attracting more businesses to the eastern part of Bulacan and adjacent province of Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon.
In his inspection report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Sadain said that three (3) contract packages are on-going to construct two (2) new westbound travel lanes from NLEX at station 34 + 900 in Barangay Burol, Balagtas to station 57 + 366 in Barangay Maasim, San Rafael.
Funded by Loan Agreement No. PH-P266 between the Government of the Philippines (GOP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project costing ₱5.26 Billion under the Arterial Bypass Road Project Phase 3 implemented by DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster 1 (UPMO-RMC1) involves concrete paving on new lanes, installation of box culverts and drainage structures, construction of eight (8 bridges and three (3) flyovers, and slope protection and miscellaneous structures.
Senior Undersecretary Sadain, overall in-charge of DPWH flagship projects, together with UPMO RMC 1 Project Director Benjamin Bautista and Project Managers Basilio Elumba and Hermie Sablan, conducted an inspection on Monday, December 19, 2022 particularly at the 7.70-kilometer contract package 4 in San Rafael town.
This contract package under Sino Road & Bridge Group Co. Ltd is at 90 percent completed and also cover the construction of a 318-meter Flyover No. 4 at the intersection along Kalsadang Bago.
Meanwhile, the 12.27 kilometer stretch from Barangay Tiaong, Guiguinto to Barangay Bonga Menor, Bustos under contract packages 1 and 2 awarded to C.M. Pancho Construction Inc. is at 42 percent completed.
“If things go according to plan, the road widening activities for the entire project alignment will be completed within the last quarter of 2023” added Senior Undersecretary Sadain.
DPWH has earlier completed the widening from two (2) lanes to four (4) lanes of a 2.22 kilometer section under contract package 3 including the westbound two (2) lane 1.12 kilometer Angat Bridge (Bridge No. 8 ), among the longest bridges in Luzon.
The Department has also started working on the rehabilitation/replacement of damaged concrete on intermittent section of paved road completed under phase 1 and 2 to accommodate the new load demand.
