By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff
Reporter
Laoag
City—The Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH)-Ilocos Norte Engineering District I announced that they plan to
construct another bypass road to connect this city to neighboring San Nicolas
town.
DPWH-INED district I engineer
Maria Venus Torio said former Ilocos Norte Governor, now Senator, Ma. Imelda
Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos requested the project to DPWH Sec. Mark A. Villar.
According to Ms. Torio, the
Rudy C. Farinas Bypass Road has not completely solved the traffic congestion at
the city’s Nangalisan area—the primary road that leads to San Nicolas.
She explained that based on their
initial feasibility study of the proposed project, they learned that a third
bridge should be located on the east of the existing Gilbert Bridge.
“Sa ngayon tinitingnan pa
nila kung ano iyong mga alternative
locations. Ganun talaga pag ginagawan po yan ng survey iyong short
distance from the river bank to river bank dahil mas economical kung
ano iyong shortest distance kaya lang kung iyong shortest distance
e kailangan naman ng longer road para ire-route at matatamaan ang
mga residential areas, hind rin practical kaya magkakaroon din ng
alternative routes,” Ms. Torio expounded.
She said she also learned
that the bridge alone would costs around PHP1 billion as she added she hopes
this project will start next year so they can finish it by 2022.
Relative to this, Ilocos
Norte Governor Mathew Joseph M. Manotoc also announced the proposed project by
the DPWH in his visit to San Nicolas during his consultative meetings with barangay
officials, non-government organizations, zanjeras and other stakeholders
recently.
Mr. Manotoc said the
provincial government is doing its best to help in the continuing progress and
development of San Nicolas by easing the traffic problem along the Gilbert
Bridge to Nangalisan Road going to San Nicolas.
The
Ilocos Times learned that what was once a
“peak-hour” traffic along the area is now a whole-day phenomenon.
The on-going road widening
project of the DPWH-INED II along Brgy. 1, San Nicolas has also exacerbated the traffic
situation.
The planned third Laoag
bridge will also need an alternative route heading towards San Nicolas’ main
commercial area.
DPWH-INED II district
engineer Mathias L. Malenab confirmed, in an earlier interview, that an
additional bridge connecting Laoag and San Nicolas was proposed with an
alternative road going to the said San Nicolas area.
With these new developments, Mr.
Malenab strongly believes that this will resolve the traffic problems along the
national road, particularly at Brgy. 1 in San Nicolas and Nangalisan in Laoag
City.
The
Ilocos Times also learned that another
bypass road, this time along the western part of the Manila North Road (MNR),
or Batac Road, connecting the Rudy C. Farinas Bypass Road here is also on the
planning stage.
This alternate route, the
DPWH believes, will help ease traffic congestion for travelers heading to
northern Ilocos Norte.
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