/PNA
BOCAUE, Bulacan — A new interchange that is seen to provide a long-term solution to heavy traffic situations and boost economic activities in this province will soon be constructed.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Senator Joel Villanueva, together with senior officers of the Maligaya Development Corp. (MDC), North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corp. and other local officials, led the groundbreaking for the construction of the Ciudad de Victoria Interchange located in this town on Friday.
The PHP635-million project involves the construction of a four-lane road connecting the Manila North Road (MNR) and the Santa Maria-Bocaue Bypass road, bypassing the heavily congested Governor F. Halili road via Ciudad de Victoria.
Villar said the new road project is expected to solve the usual heavy traffic situation and queuing of vehicles at the Bocaue interchange.
It will also serve as infrastructure support and catalyst to further boost economic activities and industrialization in the road influence area, specifically to the towns of Santa Maria and Bocaue, Bulacan, he said.
“The people from Bulacan understand that there is a need for an alternative road due to the heavily congested road in Governor F. Halili road in Santa Maria, Bulacan and I am delighted to share that we no longer have to worry,” he added.
The first phase of the project consists of the construction of two additional lanes in the existing Bocaue Municipal Road, a new 80-linear meter 2×2 lane bridge crossing the NLEX, and the rehabilitation of the inner road of Philippine Arena for a total length of 1.93 kilometers.
This road segment will begin near the Bocaue Municipal Hall and will reach Santa Maria, Bulacan bypassing the heavily congested Gov. F. Halili Ave. in Bocaue.
Forming the second phase is the improvement of a 1.91-km. road from Manila North Road (MNR) of MacArthur Highway to Bocaue Municipal Road and the completion of the southbound acceleration and deceleration lanes for vehicles headed to Philippine Arena.
The last phase covers the construction of a 1.3-km. road from the Philippine Arena to the existing Patubig Road in Marilao, Bulacan.
“The DPWH will also build new NLEX west service road to serve local traffic between Bocaue and Marilao,” Villar added.
Meanwhile, Arroyo said she is very thankful to DPWH because the project materialized under her time as House Speaker.
“Masaya ako dahil ang proyektong ito ay naisakatuparan sa panahon ng aking pagsisilbi sa bayan (I am happy that this project would be realized when I am serving the nation),” she said.
DPWH 3 (Central Luzon) director Roseller Tolentino said project contractor LR Tiqui Builders will construct the road network for 300 days, expected to be completed on November 17.
“The new road project, which also serves as an entry/exit toll gate of the North Luzon Expressway (North and South Bound), will also have an 80-linear meter acceleration/deceleration lane in its northbound lane vehicles entering the exiting the expressway,” Tolentino added.
Other public officials who were present during the event were Mayor Ed Pamintuan, Rep. Miro Quimbo, Rep. Winnie Castelo, Congressman Gavini Pancho, CIBA Party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, and Bulacan Vice Governor Daniel Fernando.
