In time for the December holiday rush, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has provided solution to the usual traffic buildup and occurence of serious accidents at the intersection of Roman Superhighway and Gov. JJ Linao National Road in Pilar, Bataan with the completion and opening of the newly-completed Ala Uli Steel Flyover.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain together with Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III and 2nd District Representative Albert Garcia formally led the ceremonial inauguration of the 607.75-lineal meter modular steel flyover including road approaches in Barangay Ala Uli that will improve overall transportation efficiency of the Roman Superhighway, considered the major trade route of Bataan Peninsula.
The inauguration event of Bataan’s first flyover structure was also attended by the following: Pilar Mayor Carlos F. Pizarro Jr., DPWH Unified Project Management Office- Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) Project Director Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes, UPMO Buildings and Special Projects Management Cluster Project Director Soledad R. Florencio, DPWH Stakeholders Relations Service Director R. Del Rosario, Bataan District Engineers Ulysses C. Llado and Maribel D. Navarro, and Project Manager Samuel Bayot of Amarro Construction.
The Ala-Uli Flyover Project is considered one of the top priorities under the Mega-Bridges for Urban and Rural Development Project.
Located at a traffic chokepoint for vehicles going to and from the towns of Balanga, Pilar, Mariveles, and Bagac, the Ala-Uli Flyover Project is considered one of the top priorities under the Mega-Bridges for Urban and Rural Development Project (MBURDP) which is a program managed by UPMO-BMC that involves the nationwide construction of bridges and flyovers to provide better road network along secondary national highways.
In his message, Sadain said that after months of meticulous planning, construction, and collaboration with various stakeholders, the successful completion and opening of Ala-Uli Flyover Project demonstrated the commitment of the DPWH and local government units to greatly improve mobility essential to social and economic growth.
“The project is expected to reduce travel times particularly to the industrial centers located along the highway including the oil companies in Limay and Bataan Freeport in Mariveles.”
“The project is expected to streamline traffic flow, reduce travel times particularly to the industrial centers located along the highway including the oil companies in Limay and Bataan Freeport in Mariveles, and contribute to a more sustainable and accessible urban environment,” he explained.
The elevated roadway is a two-lane, 7.5-meter wide and 195.59-meter long modular steel flyover consisting of five spans, two abutments and four piers as well as 412.16-meter road approaches.
The project also covers the rehabilitation and reblocking of concrete pavement under the flyover.
Under the leadership of Secretary Manuel Bonoan, DPWH will start in 2024 the construction of 32.15-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) that will connect Bataan and Cavite provinces across Manila Bay and poised to become one of the longest marine bridges worldwide upon its completion.
BCIB project is structured to be financed by loan with Asian Development Bank (ADB) through a multi-tranche funding facility, with the initial tranche of the loan amounting to $650 million signed on December 15, 2023.
The project which has an estimated total cost of about P219.31 billion to be co-financed by the ADB, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and by the Philippine government is part of the Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. “Build Better More” program.
