The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the construction of an additional 1.3 kilometer to further expand length of newly paved Laguna Lake Highway to 4.5 kilometers.
In leading the opening of additional new concrete paved segment of Laguna Lake Highway in Taguig City, DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar, together with Department of Transportation Art Tugade, BCDA President Vince Dizon, Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano and Taguig Representative Pia Cayetano also formally unveiled the first stretch of the bicycle lane, making Laguna Lake Highway, the first highway in the Philippines to have a 3-meters wide space for bikers and joggers.
"In a study by World Health Organization, 19% of those who die in road accidents in the Philippines are pedestrians," Villar noted.
"In building the road network in the Philippines, it is important that we also put in place more pedestrian infrastructure. This will not only happen in Luzon but also in Visayas and Mindanao," said Villar.
Villar added that DPWH would incorporate pedestrian infrastructure and green architecture in the creation of key infrastructure projects.
Costing P140.331 million, the 1.3-kilometer additional 2-lane road is constructed under the Phase II of Laguna Lake Highway Project which also covers provision for plant strip, sidewalk, turn out, and drainage works is in addition to about 3.2 kilometers concrete paved segment earlier completed.
The improved highway will ensure safety of motorists, bikers, pedestrians, as well as protection of residents from backflow of lakewater.
Linking towns of Rizal to the eastern corridor of Manila, the Laguna Lake Highway is essential to cope up with the increasing traffic volume due to rapid increase of population and urbanization in the Metro.
Laguna Lake Highway is seen to give Taguig a new growth corridor and to increase the economy in the area as DPWH hopes to attract tourists with added healthy features like the bike lane.
Also on-going is Phase III of the project covering an additional length of 4.3 kilometers which is expected to be finish by August of 2018.