SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The P5.9-billion Capas-Botolan Road, one of the government’s major projects, will change Central Luzon into a growth center of the country and will be finished as scheduled in 2022, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said Tuesday.
Barring serious setbacks, including the burning of equipment of the contractor by armed rebels and monsoon rains, the project will be finished as planned, Villar said as he inspected the project.
The road is 81.9 kilometers long and will pass Angeles City, Floridablanca, Porac and Sta. Rita, all in Pampanga. This will reduce the travel from three hours to just one hour point to point.
Villar said about 15.80 kilometers was already completed worth P800 million last year, while the current budget of P550.3 million is for 10.085 kilometers, including the construction of 208.6 linear bridge structures.
“Our engineers are confident they will finish the project even before the deadline,” he added.
The Capas-Botolan Road will help transform Central Luzon as the next growth center of the country instead of the crowded, trafficked, and flood-prone Metro Manila.
The completion of the project will also spur developments of rice and corn-producing Tarlac, while the tourism site-rich Zambales will also be fully utilized for both local and foreign tourists.
Zambales is known for its mangoes festival from July 24 to 15. The other tourism attractions of the province are Mount Pinatubo, Capones Island, Mt Papulao, and several coves and pristine beaches.
Other projects of the administration in the region include the New Clark City, the 206-kilometer North-South Commuter Railways Project from Tutuban to Clark, both worth billions of pesos.
The railway project was already approved by the National Economic Development Authority board and will be financed by the Japanese government.