Candon City By Pass Road project is envisioned to boost economic activities of Candon City by accelerating the economic interplay between the urban and rural areas within and outside the province of Ilocos Sur and neighboring provinces. Since the opening of the first phase of the project last February 11, 2017, the project is expected to decongest traffic along the section of the Manila North Road (MNR) that traverses Candon City. “The MNR along Bagani Campo to Barangay San Jose in Candon City proper is flooded and unpassable to light vehicles during rainy season, but now even with heavy rains, all types of vehicles can now use the by-pass road as alternate road,” disclosed DPWH Regional Director Ronnel M. Tan during the recent project inspection of DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar.
According to Director Tan, the Phase II started March 1, 2016 with the widening of both sides of the road, and shoulder paving, is expected to be completed end of November 2017. He added that the Phase III of the project has also been started with the concreting of 3.956 kilometers road and is expected to be done January 2018. The Phase IV, which will start sometime 2018 will include installation of road signage, guardrails, and pavement markings, construction of eight waiting sheds, widening of road with a length of 4.340 kilometers and the construction of Oaig Daya Bridge with a length of 25.90 meters including bridge approaches.
The completion of the by-pass road project which is to be implemented in four (4) phases with a total cost of 675,000,000 pesos including payments of road right-of-way funded from DPWH budget plays a big role in the future and development of Candon City. Future proposed establishments will expand up to the eastern part of the city proper. It also lessens the congestion of traffic along Manila North Road bound for Manila and to Northern Municipalities of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and the province of Abra.