The Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has extended financial assistance to the Philippine Government through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the widening of 24.61 kilometers Plaridel By-Pass Road in the Province of Bulacan.
Loan agreement number PH-P266 amounting 9.399 Billion Japanese Yen for the Arterial Road ByPass Project, Phase III was signed today, February 28, 2018 by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez and JICA Chief Representative Susumu Ito witnessed by DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar, National Economic Development Authority Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, and JICA Senior Representative Tetsuya Yamada.
Also present at signing ceremony held at NEDA Office in Pasig City are DPWH Undersecretaries Emil K. Sadain and Maria Catalina E. Cabral, Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Laura B. Pascua, and DPWH Project Director Virgilio Castillo of Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster 1.
DPWH Secretary Villar expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Japanese Government and JICA for the unwavering support of continuously providing financial and technical assistance in the Philippines’ infrastructure development endeavours.
The expansion from two (2) lanes to a four (4) lane toll road carriageway is one of the identified high-impact projects under the Build…Build…Build program of the President Rodrigo R. Duterte administration.
Also included in the P5.261 Billion project are the construction of 10 bridges, two (2) intechanges, five (5) overpasses, one (1) intersection, three (3) toll plazas and two (2) service roads between Burol, Balagtas and Angat River in Bustos, Bulacan.
The project with a construction timeline of 2018 to 2021 will be implemented by DPWH Roads Management Cluster 1 headed by Director Castillo under close monitoring and supervision by Undersecretary Sadain.
In 2012, DPWH completed Arterial Road ByPass Project Phase I which provided time savings of 20 to 23 minutes and benefited the towns of Balagtas, Bustos, Baliuag, Pandi, Plaridel, San Rafael, and Angat with the heavy volume of vehicles at the Pan-Philippine Highway decongested by as much as 40 percent or about 15,000 vehicles diverted at the Plaridel ByPass Road.
Nearing full completion is Arterial Road ByPass Project Phase II which will fully link the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) with the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway in San Rafael, Bulacan and generate travel time savings of up to 45 to 50 minutes.