PUBLIC Works Secretary Mark A. Villar, along with key Bulacan local officials, formally inaugurated on Thursday the Pulilan-Baliuag Diversion Road, a multiyear road project that broke ground in 2015 and was completed this year.
Villar, in a news statement, said that the completed road bypassed the congested sections of Maharlika Highway in the adjacent municipalities of Pulilan and Baliuag, resulting in shortened travel time.
Motorists headed to North Luzon Expressway may now use this alternate road that begins at Pulilan-Calumpit Road in Barangay Tibag, Pulilan, near the Nlex and ends in Daang Maharlika in Barangay Tarcan, Baliuag, Bulacan, traversing several barangays in Pulilan.
“The DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] is keen on constructing more bypass roads due to our continued desire not only to improve traffic flow but to ensure the safety of travel. We are also aware that transportation improvement projects like these can affect the local economies of Pulilan and Baliuag, as well as the quality of life of the Bulakenyos,” Villar said.
The P509.694-million four-lane 9.6-kilometer diversion road was implemented by the DPWH Regional Office III.
“We take exceptional pride in the completion of this project. Since this is essentially a diversion road, Bulakenyos no longer have to pass through Daang Maharlika. There is a newer, better, faster road travel alternative,” the DPWH chief said.
An additional feature implemented by Villar in the project was the inclusion of bike lanes, tackling the importance of pedestrian infrastructure in roads across the country.
“As part of DPWH[’s overall plan], not only is it our main goal to provide vehicular infrastructure, but pedestrian infrastructure as well—especially for those who do not have private vehicles of their own. This is why we aim to incorporate bike lanes in all our projects similar to what we did here in the Pulilan-Baliaug Diversion Road,” Villar said.