ARAYAT -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had announced that the Arayat-Magalang Bypass Road is now 80 percent complete.
The agency said the implementation of the project is aimed to connect the towns of Arayat and Magalang in Pampanga.
Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said that DPWH Regional Office 3 Director Roseller A. Tolentino and Pampanga First District Engineer Almer C. Miranda reported a completion rate of 80 percent for the works under the P96.5-million allocation in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the Arayat Segment of the Arayat-Magalang Bypass Road Project.
In total, the agency said that 5.09 kilometers of the diversion road starting from Barangay San Juan Baño in Arayat have already been constructed and paved.
The DPWH Pampanga First District Engineering Office (DEO) said it is fast-tracking the construction works along the remaining portions in Magalang town to meet the target completion of the project in 2026.
The agency underscored the importance of the bypass road as a component to the comprehensive Pampanga Megalopolis Masterplan.
When completed, the Arayat-Magalang Bypass Road will serve as an additional and alternate route to the connecting road between Arayat and Magalang.
The infrastructure project is seen to boost tourism in the area by providing quicker access to the Mt. Arayat National Park.