The P7.389 billion Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway (BANOCEH), will be initially opened to travelers by the end of June, a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) report said.
The highway stretches from Bacolod South Road junction along Barangay Sum-ag in Bacolod City towards the Bacolod North Road junction in Victorias City.
BANOCEH spans a 48.8-kilometer stretch that involves the opening, concreting, and improvement of roads along with the construction and enhancement of 16 bridges.
DPWH-Western Visayas Regional Director Sanny Boy Oropel said they will open portions of the BANOCEH “by June 30 or maybe by the first week of July”.
“The section from Bacolod City going to the Bacolod-Silay Airport, passing through the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road junction, will help all travelers by June 30. We are now on our scheduled target to have a soft opening,” Oropel said in a regional public briefing.
He added that the new economic highway is “set to transform regional connectivity by reducing travel time from Bacolod City to Bacolod-Silay Airport by 25 minutes, down from the current one hour” and is “expected to benefit an average of 20,000 travelers daily”.
“They can enjoy a better experience of travel with complete amenities of bicycle lane, including a service road, and the vegetation and landscaping program we are introducing,” Oropel said.
The DPWH official said there is also a plan to open a portion of BANOCEH from Bacolod South Road junction, passing through sections of Bacolod-Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto-San Carlos Road and cutting through some barangays and municipalities to encompass traffic improvement for commuters.
“If you are traveling from the south, you can have a direct access to the Bacolod-Silay Airport, including the extension up to Victorias and Manapla, with the proposed BANOCEH extension going to Sagay City,” Oropel said.
He added that the extended portion will not only enhance the traffic condition of the main thoroughfare, the Bacolod North Road, but will also provide travelers a shorter distance from Victorias-Manapla area going to Don Salvador Benedicto.*PNA