ALTERNATE ROAD IN BULACAN. Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar (right) delivers his short message during the inauguration of the 9.6-kilometer Pulilan-Baliuag Diversion Road in Pulilan, Bulacan on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Looking on are Pulilan Mayor Maritz Ochoa-Montejo, Rep. Gavini Pancho and DPWH Regional Director Roseller Tolentino. (Photo by Manny Balbin)
PULILAN, Bulacan -- The new 9.6-kilometer Pulilan-Baliuag Diversion Road is now open to motorists.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar led on Thursday the inauguration of the new road that will decongest the crowded section of Maharlika Highway from Barangay Tibag in Pulilan town to Barangay Tarcan in Baliuag town.
The project with a total cost of PHP509.60 million was implemented by the DPWH Regional Office 3 headed by Director Roseller Tolentino. It was started in 2015 and completed this year under the government's "Build, Build, Build" program.
The alternate four-lane diversion road begins at the Pulilan-Calumpit Road in Barangay Tibag near the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) toll plaza and ends in Daang Maharlika Highway, formerly Doña Remedios Trinidad Highway in Barangay Tarcan, Baliuag town.
Villar said that transportation improvement projects such as this diversion road is seen to boost the local economies of Pulilan and Baliuag as well as the quality of life of the Bulakenyos.
"In this project, an additional feature was implemented such as the inclusion of bike lanes, highlighting the importance of pedestrian infrastructure in roads across the country," he added.
Villar also said that the DPWH will push for the construction of more bypass roads to improve traffic flow and create new development opportunities.
The new diversion road will cut travel time from NLEX to Baliuag town from one hour to 30 minutes. (PNA)
