BULACAN– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is starting a series of road infrastructure projects in Bulacan after more than P292-million has been released by the national government under the General Appropriation Act (GAA) for the year 2020 that are expected to improve the traffic situation particularly in two districts in this province.
According to District Engineer Henry Alcantara, chief of the DPWH-1st District Engineering Office, eleven road infrastructure projects are lined up to be built on major roads in his jurisdiction, particularly in the First and Second Districts of Bulacan. with a total budget of P292.163 million.
These include rehabilitation, reconstruction, asset preservation, preventive maintenance, upgrading of damaged pave roads – primary roads, secondary roads, tertiary roads and rehabilitation of drainage canals on roads specifically in Manila Manila Road former Mac Arthur Highway and Daang Maharlika Highway formerly DRT Highway.
Alcantara said the fund is contained under the 2020 General Appropriation Act -For Later Release (GAA-FLR) which was released late due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the release, Alcanatara immediately started the P26.2-million rehabilitation / reconstruction / upgrading of damaged pavement roads primary roads of the “flood prone area” of the Bocaue-Balagtas boundary in the Manila North Road Intercity Section that has started on November 24.
P75-million of its fund has been set aside for the construction of the Manila North Road in Malolos City and will be followed by road construction in the Malolos-Crossing section with P13.8-million budget
According to Chief Maintenance Engr. Ernesto Dauz, they will conduct asset preservation-preventive maintenance-tertiary road reblocking on Kilometers 47 and 48, while rehabilitation / reconstruction and upgrading of damaged pave roads-tertiary roads on the part of General Alejo Santos Highway in Bustos, Bulacan with a total of P32.913-million in funding.
P5.411-million is set aside for asphalting on the Bocaue-San Jose Road section in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Renovations are also pending on Pulilan-Calumpit Road with P17.169-million in funding; P25.338-million for Pulilan-Plaridel Diversion Road and P14.772-million for Baliuag-Candaba Road.
DE Alcantara added that the other aforementioned road infra projects are scheduled to start in the coming weeks or early month of December.
Assistant District Engr. Aris Ramos, on the other hand, clarified that they only had started those road infra projects because of the delayed release of the fund due of pandemic but he assured that they will finish all of the said projects within 120 days or until March 2021.
Motorists are advised to expect heavy and congested flow of traffic in the coming weeks on the aforementioned roads due to the said activities.
Due to this, Alcantara appealed to the Bulakenyos, particularly to motorists, for a long understanding of the traffic that will be caused by the constructions where it ensured a quick and convenient journey once all the said road infra projects are completed.
The priority of these activities is to provide a long term solution to the concern of motorists regarding their sacrifices in the heavy traffic flow caused by dilapidated roads.