The Department of Public Works and Highways said it expects to start the construction of the Quezon-to-Bicol expressway project this year.
“The feasibility study already completed, so we’re gonna start this year,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.
According to the DPWH, the project will start at Pagbilao, Quezon, and end at the Maharlika Highway in San Fernando, Camarines Sur.
“The project will have an indicative length of approximately 220 kilometers and will be an alternative option of travel from Quezon and the Bicol provinces,” DPWH added.
The agency said the project aimed to provide a fast and developed alternative for commuters to use since the original road being traversed by the people will go through the “poblacions” of the different municipalities.
It will also provide a safe and direct route to the provinces of Bicol since the original route traverses through the mountainside and other fragmentary roads.
The project will offer a direct and fast route between both provinces, while the trade of goods is expected to prosper not only between Quezon and Bicol but also in the northern part of Luzon because travel time for trucks will be reduced.
The DPWH said the Quezon-Bicol Expressway project would be classified as a “project of national significance” due to its function to connect Quezon and Bicol provinces, which are fast developing provinces of Southern Luzon.
The DPWH is also building the P11.98-billion, four-lane extension of Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase I that connects Cabanatuan City and San Jose City, passing through the municipalities of Talavera and Llanera in Nueva Ecija.
The 35.70-km expressway will provide a free-flowing alternative route and decongest traffic along Pan-Philippine Highway between the cities of Nueva Ecija and the town of Plaridel in Bulacan province.