Expansion works of a major bridge along the Plaridel Bypass Road in Bulacan is is now 89 percent complete, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar announced Friday.
The project, which covers the widening of 1.161-kilometer Angat Bridge from two lanes to four, is set for possible completion by December this year, Villar added.
The widening, according to the secretary, is among the game-changing projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the Luzon Spine Expressway Network Program aimed at reducing road travel time in the entire Luzon island.
“The completion of this route eased up the congestion of traffic at the Daang Maharlika or Pan-Philippine Highway with about 15,000 vehicles diverted to Plaridel Bypass and created an alternative route to the towns of Angat, Balagtas, and Pandi in Bulacan,” he said.
He added that that the construction of additional two lanes of the Angat Bridge will enable it to serve the increasing number vehicles utilizing the Plaridel Bypass Road, travelling to and from the eastern towns of Bulacan as well as motorists bound to and from Nueva Ecija and Cagayan Valley Region.
The expansion of the bridge is implemented under the Contract Package 3 costing P1.09 billion. It covers the widening of two bridges with a total of 2.22-kilometer length, including the Angat Bridge, and the widening of the entire 24.61-kilometer Plaridel Bypass Road that connects the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to Daang Maharlika in San Rafael, Bulacan, and vice versa.
It is financed by a loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The bypass road was officially launched for public use in May, 2018 and has cut travel time from Manila to San Rafael, Bulacan, by 45 minutes.
“At present, traffic build-up at some sections of the bypass road already shows during the late afternoon up to night time,” Villar said.