By-pass road eases travel to northern Iloilo

The 4-lane by-pass road completed by DPWH to facilitate faster travel and decongest traffic along the town proper of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo. Photos courtesy of DPWH, Iloilo 2nd DEO

Traveling to northern Iloilo towns is faster with the completion of the 1.75-kilometer by-pass road along junction Iloilo-Capiz East Coast-Capiz Road in Barotac Nuevo town, which was recently opened to the public.

Costing ₱136.294 million, the by-pass road project was initially undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office 6 in 2017 in the amount of 116.698 million.

The project involved the construction of a new road 1.75 kilometers long with 4 lanes and 6.70 meters wide on both sides.

To complete the project, DPWH-Iloilo 2nd District Engineering Office spent P19.598 million in 2020. This phase included the concreting of the 4-lane, 13.4-meter wide Portland Concrete Cement Pavement (PCCP) with 1.5-meter paved shoulders, and slope protection structures.

DPWH-6 Regional Director Lea N. Delfinado said the new road opening will provide alternate route to approximately 2,500 daily motorists and travelers going to northern part of Iloilo province, bypassing Barotac Nuevo town proper.

“This (by-pass) road will decongest traffic in Barotac Nuevo town proper, hence, would facilitate faster and a more comfortable travel to various destinations in northern Iloilo and neighboring provinces of Capiz and Aklan,” Delfinado said.

District Engineer Sanny Boy Oropel said the completed project will reduce travel time, which will result in better economic activities and more livelihood opportunities to the people in Barotac Nuevo and other towns in the 4th congressional district of Iloilo. (DPWH-6/RPAIO)