The usual hour-long trip between Burol, Balagtas and Maasim, San Rafael in Bulacan will soon be cut in half.

This, as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to inaugurate by April a portion of the 24.61-kilometer Plaridel Bypass road in Bulacan province.

The portion of the road has been undergoing widening works, which are set to be completed by the end of March. It involves the expansion of the 2.22-kilometer segment of the bypass road from two lanes to four lanes.

According to Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, the additional lanes will alleviate the slow traffic movement due to the increasing volume of vehicles utilizing the existing two-lane, two-way bypass road that connects North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Barangay Burol, Balagtas with Daang Maharlika Highway in Barangay Maasim, San Rafael.

"The added two more lanes for the 2.22-kilometer portion of existing bypass road is ready for inauguration anytime this April 2021 and motorists will soon be able to freely use this section," Villar said citing a report from the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO).

Once the widening project is completed, Villar said the average travel time of about 15,000 motorists per day between Burol, Balagtas and Maasim, San Rafael in Bulacan will be reduced from over an hour to only 24 minutes.

With a total cost of P1.092 billion, Contract Package 3 was funded from the derived project savings from Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road Phase 2 and financed by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The contract package covers the Plaridel Bypass Road station 47+400 in Barangay Bonga Menor, Bustos, Bulacan up to station 49+625 in BarangayTambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. It involves the construction of portland concrete cement pavement of seven meters carriageway, 0.35 meter thick, and 2.50 meters shoulder for both sides.

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Faster trips possible next month with Plaridel Bypass Road widening works completion