Arterial Road Bypass additional lanes in Bulacan opens; to boost investments in Philippines

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) witnessed the opening of Contract Package (CP) 4 of the Arterial Road Bypass Project (ARBP) Phase III in Bulacan citing its potential to attract investors and create jobs in Central Luzon.

JICA Chief Representative SAKAMOTO Takema, who joined Special Assistant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Antonio Lagdameo, Jr., Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Bulacan 3^rd District Congresswoman Lorna Silverio, Vice-Governor Alex Castro, municipal mayors, and Japan Ambassador to the Philippines KOSHIKAWA Kazuhiko at the inauguration, said the project will provide greater linkages between Metro Manila and Central Luzon, connecting to the Philippines-Japan Friendship Highway.

The ARBP, composed of three phases, is a 24-km road intended to alleviate serious traffic congestion around the municipalities of Plaridel, Pulilan and Baliuag in the province of Bulacan. The ARBP links the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to the Pan-Philippine Highway, which is also known as the Philippines-Japan Friendship Highway, and may reduce the travel time between the municipalities of Balagtas and San Rafael from around 1 hour to only 24 minutes compared to the existing route.

The initial 2-lane bypass road of ARBP’s Phases I and II were completed with JICA’s support in 2012 and 2018, respectively. Phase III, which is still ongoing for some sections left and will be completed in March 2024, is the final stage of the ARBP that expands the bypass road to 4 lanes. Phases I and II as well as completed portions of Phase III have been open to traffic this time.

“With the enhanced road capacity and the substantially shortened travel time, this project will revolutionize not only the movement of people, but also of agricultural products and services, thereby boosting the productivity of the farming industry in Bulacan,” said President Marcos, Jr.

“Factories and other business establishments along the road can already be seen, and these will create more jobs,” SAKAMOTO said.

Secretary Bonoan said that the ARBP will “address traffic congestion problems and provide efficient road network to reduce transport and logistic costs.”

The President called JICA an esteemed and steadfast partner in the country’s journey to improve its infrastructure, extended his heartfelt gratitude for JICA’s support in this critical project, and hoped for continued collaboration in future endeavors.

The ARBP in Bulacan, amounting to JPY 20,213 million, is among JICA’s various road and bridge infrastructure cooperation in the Philippines. Other infrastructure projects supported by JICA include the Central Luzon Expressway, Davao City Bypass, 4^th Cebu Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road, and Road Network Development Project in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao, among others.

JICA also added that there are ongoing discussions for future infrastructure projects such as: Dalton Pass East Alignment Road in Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya, the 2^nd San Juanico Bridge in Leyte and Samar, and Central Mindanao High Standard Highway.

JICA has one of the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) portfolios in the Philippines known for hard measures such as infrastructure and soft measures or technical assistance such as planning and capacity development.