Tacloban City – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has announced a PHP17.71 billion budget requirement for the completion of the Tacloban City Bypass Road Extension.
According to Philippines News Agency, this 33-kilometer six-lane road, connecting Tacloban City to Babatngon town, has already received PHP2.33 billion in funding since 2018 and is slated to receive an additional PHP1.56 billion in the upcoming year. Tabacon emphasized the project’s significance in anticipation of increased traffic to the future international port. The funding from 2018 to 2023 facilitated the opening and concreting of a 1.64-kilometer road section. The 2024 allotment of PHP1.56 billion will be used to open and concrete a 3.2-kilometer section. Further funds starting in 2025, sourced from the national government for inclusion in the DPWH annual budget, will be allocated for the remaining 31.36 kilometers. The new highway is expected to reduce travel time from 1.5 hours to 45 minutes, easing congestion along the Tacloban-Babatngon Road. It includes the construction of concrete roads, a drainage system, road slope protection, and three bridges, extending the PHP1.12-billion Tacloban Bypass Road
completed in early 2022.
