Widening of Plaridel Bypass Road eyed for 2023 completion

• Widening of Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road linking North Luzon Expressway and the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway or Daang Maharlika in Bulacan is moving ahead swiftly

• The project aims to make travel at the 22.46-km bypass road more efficient

• Road widening activities for the entire project alignment may be completed within the last quarter of 2023

The widening of Arterial (Plaridel) Bypass Road linking North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway or Daang Maharlika in Bulacan is moving quickly, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The project will widen the bypass from two to four lanes and make travel at the 22.46-kilometer bypass road more efficient, DPWH senior undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said in a statement.

Sadain said the project’s three contract packages to construct two new westbound travel lanes from NLEX at station 34 + 900 in Barangay Burol, Balagtas to station 57 + 366 in Barangay Maasim, San Rafael are ongoing.

Funded by a loan between the Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project costing P5.26 billion under the Arterial Bypass Road Project Phase 3 involves concrete paving on new lanes, installation of box culverts and drainage structures, construction of eight bridges and three flyovers, and slope protection and miscellaneous structures.

The 7.7km contract package 4 in San Rafael town with contractor Sino Road & Bridge Group Co. Ltd. is 90% complete. This package also covers construction of a 318-meter flyover no. 4 at the intersection along Kalsadang Bago.

The 12.27km stretch from Barangay Tiaong, Guiguinto to Barangay Bonga Menor, Bustos under contract packages 1 and 2, awarded to C.M. Pancho Construction Inc., is 42 % complete.

“If things go according to plan, the road widening activities for the entire project alignment will be completed within the last quarter of 2023,” Sadain said.

DPWH earlier completed the widening from two lanes to four lanes of a 2.22km section under contract package 3, including the westbound two-lane 1.12km Angat Bridge (Bridge No. 8), among the longest bridges in Luzon.

DPWH also began working on the rehabilitation/replacement of damaged concrete on intermittent section of paved road completed under phase 1 and 2 to accommodate the new load demand.