Traffic in Bulacan’s Plaridel, Pulilan, and Baliuag areas should improve after the DPWH opened the Bulacan Arterial Bypass Road. Also called the Plaridel Bypass Road, this 7.64-km stretch was widened by the Department of Public Works and Highways from 2 lanes to 4, it is expected to boost industrialization and the inflow of tourists particularly those in the Province of Bulacan and nearby areas of Central Luzon.
Bulacan Arterial Bypass Road opened after DPWH added additional lanes
Part of the Arterial Bypass Road Project (ARBP) in Bulacan, the total roads span a distance of 24 kilometers. DPWH’s completed works on the Plaridel/Bulacan Arterial Bypass Road is the final stage of the ARBP; the goal was to expand the bypass road from 2 lanes to 4 lanes. With support from JICA, the initial 2-lane bypass road of ARBP’s Phases I and II was completed in 2012 and 2018.
“The additional lanes provided will address traffic congestion and enhance economic activities of the entire Province of Bulacan,” said Manuel Bonoan, DPWH Secretary, during its opening.
The Arterial Bypass Road Project linked the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) at station 34 + 900 in Barangay Burol, Balagtas, Bulacan with the Maharlika Highway to station 57 + 366 in Barangay Maasim, San Rafael. With the Project’s completion and subsequent opening of more roads, it aims to address traffic congestion problems and provide a more efficient road network to reduce transport and logistic costs.
The DPWH has its hands full with the current administration’s “Build Better More” infrastructure campaign, but if it means that roads are built for convenience, ease of travel, and the betterment of businesses and motorists, then we’re all for it.