The government on Monday inaugurated the Arterial Road Bypass Project Phase III (ARBP III) in Bulacan.
The project is primarily funded through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It has a total project cost of P5.26 billion.
President Marcos, in a speech read by Special Assistant to President Antonio Ernesto Floirendo Lagdameo Jr., said the road is an important step toward a “better Philippines.”
The President also said the inauguration “is a call to action, and a call to work tirelessly toward the ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ vision for a more progressive Philippines.”
President Marcos also said the project would also help boost the production of the farming industry and attract investments in Bulacan.
The 22.4-kilometer ARBP III is an infrastructure flagship project (IFP) under the Build-Better-More Program. It involves widening the existing Plaridel Bypass Road in Bulacan from two to four lanes.
The ARBP III aims to reduce travel time from Balagtas to San Rafael in Bulacan from one hour to just 24 minutes.
Contract Packages 3 and 4 were completed on March 31, 2021, and April 30, 2023, respectively. Contract Package 3 was opened to traffic in July 2021. Meanwhile, Contract Packages 1 and 2 are targeted to be completed by March 2024.