The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it has completed a total of 1,273 infrastructure projects in Ilocos Region last year.
DPWH Sec. Roger G. Mercado said a total of 279 other projects for the Ilocos Region is set to be completed this year.
“We will continue to keep up with all the developments from last year, as everyone adapts to the new normal, by implementing more infrastructure projects that will improve lives and increase economic growth in the entire nation,” said Mercado.
Mercado said department’s Region 1 office managed to complete the construction, maintenance, improvement, and widening of 235 national roads amounting to ₱4.16 billion.
The project covers a total of 156.27 kilometers of road with asphalt overlay, 89.192 kilometers of concrete road, 30.616 kilometers of rehabilitated drainage, with 71,490.510 square meters of constructed road slope protection structures, and 22.460 kilometers of gravel road opening.
One of the significant road projects is the 22.23-kilometer Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya Road that facilitates safer and faster access to schools and health centers by cutting 2 hours from the usual travel time of 4 hours from Carmen, Pangasinan to Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.
Another important project constructed is the 14.15-kilometer access road that lead s up to Angel Cave Beach in Bani, Pangasinan.
The road development is aimed to improve the transport and delivery of local products to commercial business centers and boost tourism industry once travel restrictions are lifted.
Aside from road developments, DPWH also constructed and retrofitted 49 national bridges, 117 flood control and riverbank protection structures, 82 farm-to-market roads and 98 school buildings.
Also, there were 893 local infrastructure projects under the DPWH Region 1, including port roads, bridges, drainage canals, footbridges, seawalls, school and office buildings, quarantine facilities, evacuation centers, and water systems in the whole of Ilocos Region.