Travel time between the two cities of Pampanga – Angeles City and Mabalacat – will be faster once the Clark-Mabalacat-Angeles Road (CMAR) opens to the public, local observers say.
Motorists will soon feel the ease of travel between the cities of Mabalacat and Angeles and adjoining areas in the northern and southern parts of the province.
On board a private vehicle, travel between Sta. Ines/Mabalacat Gate intersection area to Main Gate via MacArthur Highway would take a 30 to 45-minute average. It would be longer via commuter transport. CMAR will substantially cut travel time between the two points.
The 6-kilometer, lighted, double-lane road project was constructed as part of Clark Development Corporation’s commitment to help decongest traffic in the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat. It will connect the existing terminal in Mabalacat Gate area to the transport depot at the SM Clark City area in Angeles City.
Robby Tantingco, a Mabalaqueno and now vice president of Holy Angel University cited the would-be contribution of CMAR in helping bring about convenient travel as he cited congestion along MacArthur Highway.
Posting even a photo in his Facebook account, Tantingco said “motorists and commuters between Angeles and Mabalacat can now avoid the heavy traffic in Balibago and Dau by taking this new six-kilometer straight road running parallel to the Clark perimeter fence.”
“It starts at SM Clark (with an attached photo of the southern tip of the road near SM Clark) and ends at the Clark Mabalacat Gate in(Barangay) Agusu (in Mabalacat),” he added.
“The project was funded by Clark Development Corporation (CDC) under former CDC President Arthur Tugade (now Department of Transportation Secretary) and is due to open very soon,” Tantingco said in his social network account.
Recently, Engr. Teresito Tiotuyco, assistant vice president for Technical Services and Construction Management Division, said the CDC-funded road project is expected to be fully open soon to motorists. CDC has targeted end of October to open the CMAR.
The state-run agency is also looking at other ways to help ease traffic at a busy intersection along Mac Arthur Highway that connects the Mabalacat Gate to the Sta. Ines entry and exit points of the NLEX.
All the road improvement projects are also being implemented to help prepare Clark in hosting some activities when Philippines host the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017.