DPWH to open Urdaneta By-Pass road to public in 2019

Brace yourselves travelers, beach bums, and wanderlusts, traveling to and from Pangasinan will be easier and faster in a year’s time. That's because the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced the completion of a P1.6-billion by-pass road project for Urdaneta City in 2019.

According to DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar and DPWH Region 1 Director Ronnel M. Tan, the project is divided into six phases that will cover the construction of 7.2 km four-lane road. There will also be four bridges to be constructed: Macalong Bridge (36.3 linear meters), Mitura Bridge 1, Mitura Bridge 2 (102.4 linear meters in total), and Camantiles Bridge (60.9 linear meters).

The Urdaneta By-Pass Road is strategically placed in the central part of eastern Pangasinan and will pass through eight barangays. These barangays are Nancayasan, Sto. Domingo, Sta. Lucia, Nancamaliran East, Mabanogbog, San Vicente, Camantiles, and Anonas. 

Once that the Urdaneta By-Pass Road gets accomplished, the usual one-hour travel from Villasis to Binalonan will be cut to 30 minutes – that’s more time for other activities, aside from having the amount of stress you get from driving reduced.

For easier and faster access, the Manila North Road (MNR), Urdaneta-Dagupan road, Urdaneta-Manaoag Road, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) will all be connected to the Urdaneta City by-pass road. 

Meanwhile, the DPWH also announced bridge projects in Metro Manila. Two of which are the China-aided Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon bridges, while bridge enhancement projects are also lined in. Not only is the DPWH on a roll for bridges, the construction of the South East Metro Manila Expressway has also started with expected completion in 2020.

The DPWH will also be constructing reinforced concrete box culverts, drainages, and slope protections. In addition, part of the budget will be allotted for other road installations like right of way monuments, metal guardrails, and reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings.