DPWH inaugurates the 7.64-kilometer Bulacan Arterial Bypass Road in San Rafael

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has officially declared the opening of a recently constructed 7.64-kilometer segment of the Bulacan Bypass Road situated in the Municipality of San Rafael, Bulacan.

On Monday, October 9, 2023, Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President of the Philippines, along with Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Kashikawa and DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, took the lead in the inauguration ceremony for the two new westbound lanes of the Japan-assisted Arterial Bypass Road Project, also recognized as the Plaridel Bypass, in San Rafael, Bulacan.

As per DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain, the Arterial Road Bypass Project Phase 3 marks a significant transition. It commenced as a two-lane, two-way traffic project in Phases 1 and 2. However, for Phase 3, it received financial support through loan agreement No. PH-P266 between the Government of the Philippines and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Out of the total project cost of P5.26 billion, P4.25 billion is financed through the Loan Agreement with the JICA, and the remaining P1.01 billion is funded by the Philippine government. This phase encompasses the comprehensive expansion of the entire 24.61-kilometer span of the Arterial Road Bypass Project, which traverses multiple municipalities, including Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos, and San Rafael.

In alignment with the current administration’s "Build Better More" infrastructure development agenda, the DPWH is determined to complete the remaining 12.5 kilometers of the project in contract packages 1 and 2 by the first half of 2024. Currently, these packages are at a 64.28 percent completion rate, as stated by Sadain.

Furthermore, the Arterial Bypass Road Project has established a crucial link between the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), starting in Barangay Burol, Balagtas, Bulacan, and extending all the way to Barangay Maasim, San Rafael, where it connects with the Pan-Philippine Highway. With the successful completion of this project and the subsequent opening of additional roads, its primary objective is to tackle traffic congestion issues and create a more efficient road network. 

Aside from the obvious gains of faster travel times, the new bypass road could mean a less back-breaking journey for travelers and those in the logistics industry.