Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. is batting for the construction of a P3-billion flyover in San Fernando City, Pampanga’s capital.

“The four-lane overhead roadway will greatly ease the flow of traffic within and around San Fernando and neighboring towns, between San Fernando and Angeles City, and between Pampanga and Nueva Ecija,” said Gonzales, who represents Pampanga's 3rd district.

Estimated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to cost between P2.7 billion and P3 billion, the proposed flyover is seen to accelerate the economic development of these local government units (LGUs), which have become bustling growth areas in recent years, according to the veteran congressman.

Based on DPWH’s concept design, the proposed flyover would be 1.59 kilometers long and would be built along the Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo (GSO) road, the major highway linking Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.

It would start in Barangay Dolores before the intersection of GSO and MacArthur Highway, which links San Fernando and Angeles City, go west and end after the GSO-Lazatin Boulevard crossing in Barangay Magliman in San Fernando.

Gonzales noted that MacArthur Highway and Lazatin Boulevard have grown into busy business districts and foodie destinations.

“Even with the temporary bridges built across the two intersections, the junctions remain traffic bottlenecks. The solution really is a long flyover crossing GSO-MacArthur Highway and GSO-Lazatin Boulevard,” the lawmaker, who is a civil engineer by profession, said.

He said the proposed viaduct would also make access to the North Luzon Expressway from San Fernando City, western part of Pampanga and even from Zambales and Bataan, faster.

He urged the DPWH to include the overhead roadway in its regular infrastructure program and to allocate funds for it.