Secretary Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) led the final inspection of the bike-friendly and upgrading of the Phase IV of Pulilan-Baliuag Diversion Road in Bulacan on Friday.
The public works secretary was accompanied by Bulacan 2nd District Congressman Apol Pancho, Usec. Rafael Yabut, DPWH Region III regional director Rosseler Tolentino and Bulacan First District Engineering Office District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
Villar said that the 9.6-kilometer bypass diversion road with dedicated type bicycle lanes will decongest the overly-congested sections of Maharlika Highway in the adjacent municipalities in Barangay Tibag in Pulilan to Barangay Tarcan in Baliuag.
The allocated fund for the Phase IV upgrading/ lane- widening is P190 million where the whole project is under the Build, Build, Build program of the national government with a total cost of P922 million implemented by the DPWH Region 3 which was broke ground in 2015 and inaugurated in May 2019.
The alternate four-lane diversion road begins at Pulilan-Calumpit Road near North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and ends in Daang Maharlika Highway wherein over 3,000 assorted vehicles passes by.The Secretary said the project composed of 4 phases including the negotiated contract from the savings generated from Phase 1 project and covering the towns of Pulilan and Baliuag.
Villar added that transportation improvement projects like the said diversion road will boost the local economies of Pulilan and Baliuag as well as the quality of life of the Bulakenyos.
DE Alcantara said that motorists coming from NLEX to Baliuag will shortened their travel time from one hour to just 15 minutes of travel.