INCOMING Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque is eyeing the construction of a new road network that will directly connect Candaba to Mexico town, bypassing the heavy traffic situation in the bustling Sta. Ana town.
In an interview Tuesday morning, May 21, Maglanque said he will revive the call to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Provincial Government to create a new network that will ease the daily travel of residents in Candaba.
He said the project was already proposed during his 2013 stint as local chief executive but was not pursued by the administration of outgoing Mayor Danilo Baylon.
"Kung dadaan tayo sa Sta. Ana ngayon, lalo na kapag Lunes na araw ng palengke nila, aabutin tayo ng mahigit isang oras para makapasok ng Candaba na kung tutuusin ay napakaliit na distansya lamang," Maglanque said.
Maglanque said the new road network with an estimated length of seven kilometers will directly connect Barangay Pasig in Candaba to a rotunda in Barangay Sto. Domingo in Mexico town, which has direct access to Jose Abad Santos Avenue going to City of San Fernando northwards and Quezon Road going to North Luzon Expressway southwards.
Once pursued and completed, Maglanque said travel time of motorists going in and out of Candaba will be cut by half from about one and a half hours to 45 minutes or faster.
"Malaking tulong ito sa mga estudyante at mga nagtatrabaho at maging iyong mga nagnenegosyo sa bayan natin dahil mas mapapabilis ang kanilang byahe at mas marami silang magagawa imbes na maipit sa traffic," he said.
The new road network is also expected to spur development in the town, as the values of lands passed by the project may be appraised, and may also create a new community where CandabeƱos can reside.
"Kapag may bagong daan, kasabay noon ang development. Pwedeng maiconvert into commercial or industrial iyong mga lupa na nakatiwangwang na dadaanan ng bypass road at pwede rin maging residential," he said.
Maglanque said he will immediately discuss the project with the DPWH, Governor-elect Dennis Pineda and re-elected Fourth District Representative Juan Pablo Bondoc for the funding of the project once he officially assumes his post.