CEREMONIAL opening of new Balagtas northbound entry.

The NLEX Corporation and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has just opened the latest NLEX Balagtas northbound entry in Bulacan.

NLEX Corporation president and general manager Luigi Bautista said, “The 600-meter road could benefit 80,000-100,000 motorists in the area, especially those using the Bocaue northbound entry.”

This provides direct access to motorists coming from Balagtas interchange going to NLEX northbound, bypassing local roads and Sta. Rita interchange in Guiguinto, Bulacan.

Aside from Bautista, the inaugural drive on the joint project for the DPWH and NLEX Corporation was led by DPWH secretary Mark Villar, Undersecretary Rafael Yabut, Region III director Roseller Tolentino, Bulacan governor Daniel Fernando, among other local executives.

DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways secretary Mark Villar (third from left) leads executives in ceremony.

“The Balagtas northbound entry, which started construction early this year, is part of the government’s road network improvement plan aimed at easing traffic congestion and bringing more investments in Central Luzon,” Villar said.

In 2012, NLEX opened the Balagtas interchange, which was linked to the DPWH-built Plaridel bypass road.

For his part, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) president and CEO Rodrigo Franco said that the latest road opening shows their “commitment to enhance countryside development and make travel easier and more comfortable for everyone.”

The DPWH Region III, led by director Roseller Tolentino, affirmed that the agency supports and prioritizes infrastructure projects like this to fully tap the potentials of Bulacan province, and in turn, further spur development in the region.

Investors cite Bulacan as the next growth hub amid upcoming major infrastructure projects in the province. It is also instrumental in the thriving economy of Central Luzon, which remained one of the significant contributors to the country’s overall growth.

Bulacan 2nd District Rep. Gavini Pancho, who is proactively pushing for new access roads in the province, on the other hand, noted that the new Balagtas northbound entry will not only facilitate ease of travel, but more importantly open doors of opportunities to local businesses.

Balagtas Mayor Eladio Gonzales Jr. and Guiguinto mayor Ambrosio Cruz Jr. expressed gratitude to both public and private firms involved in constructing the new road.

“We are grateful and excited about this. It’s something that the whole community has been waiting for,” Gonzales said.

Aside from this project, a new Tambubong interchange in Bocaue, Bulacan is well underway to enhance the Bulacan road network and help alleviate heavy traffic conditions at the Bocaue interchange.

Relatedly, a southbound entry and northbound entry and exit toll plazas will be constructed at Barangay Tambubong to serve as an alternate route for motorists bound for Sta. Maria Pandi, Bulacan and nearby towns.