By Mar T. Supnad Balanga City, Bataan — Anticipating the heavy influx of motor vehicles and investors in Bataan in the coming years, Governor Abet S. Garcia has proposed the widening of the Roman Highway into an eight-lane superhighway linking Bataan to the rest of Central Luzon. Garcia’s action came as the proposed Cavite-Corregidor-Mariveles, Bataan coastal bridge is gradually becoming a reality. The coastal bridge will play a major role in decongesting traffic jams in Metro Manila. For their part, the governor and Vice Governor Cris Garcia have come up with a complementary project to help ease traffic in the country’s capital. Garcia led a meeting recently among heads of various government agencies and private investors led by hotelier Goody Ilagan, during which the governor sought opinions making the project a success. Concerned by the series of road mishaps along Roman Highway, Ilagan suggested among others the putting up of pedestrian overpasses. The ambitious Cavite-Bataan coastal bridge which has a length of more than 20 nautical miles only, has been the subject of research by a Chinese group who conducted an ocular inspection right here and feasibility studies last month and is optimistic the project can be realistic. For now, Garcia wants to begin construction to make Roman Highway into a six-lane thoroughfare to facilitate trade in the Freeport Area of Bataan. Hermosa Mayor Jopet Inton said this is a welcome move since there are also a lot of foreign traders focusing on investing in his town’s ecozone.