The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) highlighted the agency’s infrastructure achievements at the Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussions on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
Organized by the Office of the President - Presidential Communications Office, the event took place at Hilton Manila, Newport Boulevard, Pasay City where DPWH presented significant progress made from July 2022 to May 2024.
During the Infrastructure Development and Energy Security session, DPWH reported a total of 11,945 kilometers of road projects have been completed, encompassing construction, maintenance, widening, and upgrading. Additionally, the department is working on 15,769 kilometers of ongoing road projects.
Of the completed road projects, 4,953 kilometers are new bypasses, diversion roads, and missing links. Preventive maintenance covered 2,524 kilometers, rehabilitation and upgrading of damaged paved roads accounted for 1,788 kilometers, and road widening totaled 941 kilometers. Also, a total of 1,673 kilometers of roads have been completed under the Department’s Convergence Programs with other National Government Agencies that aims to further facilitate the development of an integrated land-air-sea transport network system that will have significant impact on Agriculture; Trade; Industry Clusters; Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME); and Tourism Development Areas.
One of the game-changing projects of DPWH is the Luzon Spine Expressway Network (LSEN) Program. Once completed, the travel time from Ilocos in the North to Bicol in the South will be reduced from 20 hours to 9 hours.
Part of the LSEN Program is the 59.4 kilometer-Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Extension that aims to reduce travel time from Rosario to San Juan, La Union from 1 and half hours to 40 minutes. Notice of Award was issued to San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC) on June 3, 2024. The Concession Agreement was signed last July 3, 2024 and was presented to the President last July 10, 2024.
The East-West lateral connectivity in Luzon will be improved thru the construction of the JICA assisted 30 kilometer - Central Luzon Link Expressway Project, Phase I. Once completed, travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija will be reduced from 70 minutes to 20 minutes. The project has a 98% accomplishment and targeted to be completed in November 2024. While, the 35 kilometer - Central Luzon Link Expressway, Phase II will further connect Cabanatuan City to San Jose City, Nueva Ecjia. Feasibility Study for finalization. The completion of CLLEX Phases I and II will reduced travel time from Tarlac City to San Jose City, Nueva Ecija from 2 and half hours to just 41 minutes.
Another priority project in Central Luzon is the 22 kilometer-Arterial Road Bypass (Plaridel) Project, Phase III which aims to reduce travel time between Balagtas and San Rafael in Bulacan from 69 minutes to 24 minutes.
One of the projects that will decongest and bypass EDSA is the 7.7 kilometer- NLEX-SLEX Connector Road. This elevated expressway that mostly traversing along the PNR rail track from Caloocan to PUP Sta. Mesa in Manila will reduce travel time from SLEX to NLEX from 2 hours to 20 minutes. Section 1 (C3, Caloocan to Espaňa, Manila) was opened in March 2023 and part of Section 2 (España-Magsaysay) was opened in October 2023.
Also part of the LSEN Program is the 7.7 kilometer-C5 South Link Expressway which aims to reduce travel time between R-1 Expressway and SLEX/C5 from 40 minutes to 10 minutes. Segment 2 CAVITEX C5 Link Sucat Interchange was inaugurated last June 21, 2024.
The 44.58 kilometer-Cavite-Laguna Expressway will reduce travel time between CAVITEX (Kawit) and SLEX (Mamplasan Interchange) from two hours to 35 minutes. The project has an accomplishment rate of 61% and targeted to be completed next year.
Another priority project under LSEN Program is the ongoing SLEX-Toll Road 4 which aims to reduce travel time between Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Lucena, Quezon from 4 hours to 1 hour.
The DPWH is also prioritizing the improvement and upgrading of the country’s main transportation artery, the Maharlika Highway (N1), which spans 3,082 kilometers.
Maharlika Highway plays a vital role in disaster response and relief efforts, as it provides a primary means of transportation for emergency personnel, supplies, and evacuees during natural disasters.
A total of ₱95.6 billion was allocated from 2022 to 2024 for the maintenance, rehabilitation, reconstruction, upgrading and widening of 367 bridges and 1,590 kilometers of road sections along Maharlika Highway. As of May 2024, the DPWH has completed 79 bridges and 399 kilometers of road sections.
Budget allocation for the improvement and upgrading of Maharlika Highway has significantly increased by 159%, from ₱18.6 billion in 2022 to ₱48.2 billion in 2024.
Within the same period, DPWH also reported the completion of a total of 1,263 bridge projects which include 335 national bridge widening contracts, 45 new national bridges, 204 national bridge rehabilitation or major repair, 68 national bridge replacement projects, 202 national bridge retrofitting and strengthening projects, as well as 409 local bridge projects.
Among the high-impact bridge projects completed are: ₱714.00 million Cansan-Bagutari Bridge Project in Isabela was completed in May 2023; ₱374.53 million Minanga Bridge in Isabela in June 2023; ₱530.94 million San Pedro Bridge Project in Quirino in May 2023; ₱281.68 million widening of Lumintao Bridge in Occidental Mindoro in February 2024; ₱259.41 million Buhang Flyover in Iloilo City in May 2023; ₱379.52-million Jibao-an Flyover Project in Iloilo City in January 2024; ₱195.32 million Andanan Parallel Bridge Project in Agusan del Sur in September 2023; and the ₱300.39 million C-5 Quirino Flyover in Las Pinas which was completed in March 2024.
The Metro Manila Logistics Improvement Program involves the construction and improvement of bridges crossing Pasig River, Marikina River, and Manggahan Floodway. This will provide alternative linkages between major thoroughfares and increase the number of usable roadways that would decongest traffic in EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila. The Design and Build contracts for three (3) bridges crossing Pasig River and Manggahan Floodway namely: North and South Harbor Bridge, Eastbank-Westbank Bridge 2, and Palanca-Villegas Bridge already in progress.
Other upcoming mega bridge projects in Metro Manila include: the Marcos Highway-St. Mary Avenue Bridge; Homeowners Drive-Bonifacio Bridge; Kabayani St.-Matandang Balara Bridge; Rehabilitation of Guadalupe Bridge and Lambingan Bridge.
Another major road transport program of DPWH is the Inter-Island Linkage Bridge Program which involves the construction of 12 bridges with an aggregate length of 89 kilometer.
One of the projects under this bridge program is the 32 kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge across Manila Bay. This is the biggest and most expensive single project of DPWH that will be implemented that aims to reduce the travel time between Bataan and Cavite from 5 hours to 45 minutes bypassing Metro Manila. The Detailed Engineering Design of this ₱219 billion mega bridge project in Luzon is 98% complete. The construction is targeted to start in November 2024. It will also help decongest Metro Manila by enabling motorists between Bataan and Cavite to by-pass the country’s capital.
One of the Infrastructure Flagship Projects of DPWH in Mindanao is the KEDCF-assisted 3.17 kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge that aims to reduce travel time between Tubod, Lanao Del Norte and Tangub City, Misamis Occidental from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 7 minutes. The project is targeted to be inaugurated and opened to traffic in September 2024. Also, targeted to be completed this year is the ADB-Assisted Guicam Bridge in Zamboanga Zibugay. Once completed, travel time between Olutanga Island and mainland Zamboanga Sibugay will be reduced from 1 hour to 3-5 minutes.
The ongoing China-assisted Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge will reduce travel time between Samal Island and Davao City from 55 minutes to 4.5 minutes.
Targeted to be implemented next year are the 32.47 kilometer- Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project and the 4th Cebu-Mactan Bridge (3.34 kilometer) & Mandaue Coastal Road (5.34 kilometer) Project.
Also completed are 5,521 flood control projects, with 5,841 ongoing river improvement, drainage, dredging/desilting, and revetment projects across the country.
Notable Flood Management Program achievements include: the JICA-assisted ₱12.54-billion Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan De Oro River which was completed in March 2024 aims to protect 614 ha. area and 60,900 population from flooding; and KEDCF-assisted ₱7.57-billion Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay, Stage I which was completed in April 2024 aims to shorten flood duration from 66 days to 17 days.
Under Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1 which aims to rehabilitate, modernize and increase output capacity of pumping stations, the DPWH completed 15 pumping station projects, with 14 ongoing, five (5) under contract preparation, and another five (5) under procurement.
Other ongoing big-ticket flood-mitigation projects are: the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase V which is aimed for July 2024 completion; Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase IV with October 2028 target completion; Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project with target completion in 2028; Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project-Phase 1 (InFRA1) covering the development of flood protection infrastructures in Abra River Basin, Ranao (Agus) River Basin, and Tagum-Libuganon River Basin) in 2029.
DPWH’s objective is to reduce transport and logistic cost to bring down price of goods and commodities and increase protection from calamities and disasters especially in the light of climate change. The Department’s overarching goal is to drive nationwide infrastructure development that enhances economic growth, boosts productivity, and improves the quality of life for every Filipino, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ vision of leadership.