PNoy elated with quick completion, savings on Bulacan infra projs

Usec. Alfredo Tolentino (L) brief President Aquino and Bulacan officials.

BOCAUE, Bulacan—While he did not publicly spoke, President Benigno Aquino III was elated with the early completion of two majors infrastructure projects in Bulacan where the government saved at least P163-Million.

This came as the President led the inaugural drive thru at the 14-kilometer Plaridel-Bustos arterial by-pass road project and the Bocaue bridge on March 1 before joining Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidates in a sortie in Pampanga yesterday.

It was also noticeable that no LP senatorial candidates joined the President in Bulacan, however, he was greeted by local party mates and supporters in the ceremonial inauguration of the said projects.

The said projects were both aimed to decongest traffic along the Cagayan Valley Road in Plaridel town, and along the MacArthur Highway in Bocaue, but the inauguration left traffic flow along the MacArthur Highway at stand still for about an hour.

During the project brief at the Bocaue bridge, the President was visibly elated when Public Works Secretary Alfredo Tolentino reported that the government saved P163-Million on the Plaridel-Bustos arterial road bypass.

For the Bocaue Bridge rehabilitation and expansion project, the government.saved about P4-M.

Both projects, Tolentino said were completed ahead of schedule, emphasizing that the Plaridel-Bustos by-pass was completed three months ahead of its target completion.

The report was well received by the President as he even led local official in giving an applause to Tolentino’s presentation.

Tolentino also disclosed that phase 2 of the Plaridel bypass road will be bidded on March 5.

The said project included a 1.5-kilometer bridge that will span the Angat River and will extend the bypass to Barangay Maasim in San Rafael town.

Tolentino said that the phase 2 of the project includes package 3 and four with a combined length of more than 10-kilometers.

It is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2016, but Tolentino added that if the project will be implemented 24 hours a day, it will be completed by 2015.

As a possible impact, he said that it will reduce traffic congestion along the busy Cagayan Valley Road by 40 percent.

PNoy led the inaugural drive thru at Plaridel-Bustos bypass road.

The project will also reduced travel time of northeastern Bulacan and Central Luzon travelers to metro Manila by at least one hour and half.

For his part, Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado said the completion of the Plaridel-bypass road opened new frontiers for development in the province.

He said that more land developers and other investors are eyeing Plaridel, Bustos and San Rafael towns.

“We cannot blame them, they see opportunities and we welcome them as they open new job opportunities for Bulakenyos.

This was affirmed by Mayor Arnel Mendoza of Bustos town.

Mendoza said that at least for new gas station opened in his town since the completion of the Plaridel Bypass road last November, while more residential subdivisions are being planned.

The Mayor said that they are now revising their comprehensive land us plan to open new areas for development in his town while preserving their agricultural lands. Dino Balabo