BULACAN– THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) completed six of the eleven road infrastructure projects in Bulacan which is part of the P290-million national government’s General Appropriation Act- For Late Release (GAA-FLR) for the year 2020 that improved the traffic situation particularly in the First and Second Districts in this province.
According to District Engineer Henry Alcantara, chief of the DPWH-1st District Engineering Office, these eleven major road infrastructure projects include the 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 with a total budget of P292.163 million.
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.
Some of the road projects completed are 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.
The P12.8-million Malolos-Crossing section along Manila North Road; P16-million rehabilitation/reconstruction/ upgrading of damaged of paved roads of Secondary Roads in Pulilan-Calumpit; P14.7-million asset preservation- preventive maintenance- tertiary roads along General Alejo Santos Highway in Bustos, Bulacan.
Same with the primary roads along Manila North Road in Balagtas, Bulacan with P18-million in funding and P12.8-million of the Manila North Road in Malolos City were also completed in the early part of this year’s first quarter.
Last May 21, 2021, the construction of Baliuag-Candaba Road in Baliuag, Bulacan was also completed with a total funding of P13.8-million.
DE Alcantara said that the P23.8-million rehabilitation/ reconstruction/ upgrading of damaged paved roads of tertiary road along Plaridel-Pulilan Diversion Road in Plaridel, Bulacan and the repair/ rehabilitation of the drainage canal along Baliuag-Candaba Road in Baliuag, Bulacan with P19.2-million budget are expected to be completed by June of this year.
Meanwhile, Chief Maintenance Engr. Ernesto Dauz said that the P69.4-million infra projects of Manila North Road in Malolos City and P58-million along primary and national road in Daang Maharlika were still on-going with 75% completion.
The said infrastructure road projects were started in December of 2020 because of the delayed release of the fund due of pandemic.
These projects aimed to provide a long term solution to the concern of motorists regarding their sacrifices in the heavy traffic flow caused by dilapidated roads according to Alcantara.