You don't necessarily need mega projects like the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway or additional Skyway segments to improve the flow of traffic. In some areas, even simple bypass roads are enough to lessen the load on the road system. In Pampanga, the Department of Public Works and Highways is now working on a bypass road that will link a handful of areas in the province to one another.
Also read: 10 IG-Worthy Cafés + Coffee Shops in Pampanga to Level Up Your Feed
Referred to by the agency as the Pampanga Southern Bypass Road Project, the new thoroughfare aims to improve the travel experience between the municipalities of Santo Tomas, Guagua, Minalin, Sasmuan, and Lubao. It should also lessen congestion along Jose Abad Santos Avenue and other roads heading to Bataan, Zambales, and Bulacan.
The project has been in the making for a while now, with construction beginning as early as 2018. The bypass road's budget up to 2022 now totals P4.08 billion, and the project includes the construction of two bridges and roadway embankments.
So far, the bypass road's Lubao-Guagua section is now 68.13% done, while the Santo Tomas-Minalis portion is now at 77.43%. No estimated date of completion was included in the DPWH's latest update, however.
This is good news not just for locals who stand to benefit from the improved flow of traffic, but for travelers who often pass Pampanga heading up North as well.