DPWH opens new C6 lanes for faster Taytay-Bicutan trip

The newly opened section of Laguna Lake Highway in Taguig City—PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY WEBSITE

A recently completed portion of Laguna Lake Highway, also known as Circumferential Road 6, is expected to reduce by half the travel time from Taytay, Rizal, to Bicutan, Taguig City, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH said it had completed the additional 3.2-kilometer, two-lane section in Taguig City — from Napindan to ML Quezon Avenue — at a cost of  P512 million.

“This is part of a road network that we’re building to ease congestion in this area, and provide a barrier that would prevent the backflow of water from the Laguna de Bay going to industrial and residential areas in Metro Manila,” said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, who formally opened the new lanes on Friday.

The newly completed section is expected to cut the travel time from Taytay to Bicutan from one hour to just 30 minutes.

The highway project includes the construction and widening of two bridges, paving the existing asphalt road, and adding two more lanes.

The DPWH also constructed two-meter-wide planting strips, a three-meter-wide bike lane, and a 1.5-meter-wide sidewalk.

“Structures for pedestrians are integrated in the road projects to ensure inclusive mobility not just of motorists but also bikers and pedestrians,” Villar said.

The Laguna Lake Highway runs along the peripheral areas of the freshwater Laguna de Bay.

Opened to light vehicles in 2000, it links the towns of Rizal to the eastern corridor of Metro Manila as an alternative route for motorists who wish to avoid Edsa and Circumferential Road 5.

Because of its strategic commercial importance, the road network has been frequently used by heavily loaded trucks, resulting in the early deterioration of the asphalt layer. —Julie M. Aurelio