The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have completed two road improvement and widening projects in San Rafael, Iloilo which would provide better accessibility to residents.
DPWH Region 6 Director Lea N. Delfinado reported on Friday, Oct. 8, that the government's road concreting project in Barangay Ilongbukid and the widening of the Cabatuan Bypass Road have already been finished.
She said that the 706.50-lineal meter road implemented in Barangay Ilongbukid has improved access to various farmlands which could provide an "easier, faster, and cost-effective" transport system for farm products by local farmers in town.
Aside from lower hauling costs for farmers, the upgraded farm-to-market road worth P9.75 million will also enable basic services to be accessible even in remote areas, she noted.
Meanwhile, the widening of the 3.26-kilometer Cabatuan Bypass Road from two lanes to four lanes is expected to cut travel time to and from Iloilo City.
The bypass road serves as an alternate route from Metro Iloilo to the central towns of Iloilo up to the neighboring provinces of Capiz and Aklan. It diverts traffic from the Iloilo-Capiz Road which tends to get congested due to heavy volume of cars and other vehicles, Delfinado shared.
With the expansion, around 3,400 daily commuters and motorists now only take 20 minutes to traverse along this section of Iloilo-Capiz Road compared to the previous one-hour travel time, the DPWH official stressed.
The upgraded bypass road will also provide faster access to Iloilo International Airport, delivery of basic government services in the province, and transport of goods at a lower hauling cost, she added.
The DPWH Iloilo 2nd District Engineering Office (DEO) implemented the P57.90-million road improvement which was funded under the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA).