15/06/2024
Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway Update.
โฑ7.3-B Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway to Open June 30
The โฑ7.389 billion Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway (BANOCEH) will be initially opened to travelers by the end of June, according to the latest report from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The highway stretches from the Bacolod South Road junction in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, to 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 BANOCEH โby June 30 or maybe by the first week of July.โ
โThe section from Bacolod City to Bacolod-Silay Airport, passing through the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road junction, will help all travelers by June 30. We are now on schedule for a soft opening,โ Oropel said in a regional public briefing.
He added that the new economic highway is โset to transform regional connectivity by reducing travel time from Bacolod City to Bacolod-Silay Airport by 25 minutes, down from the current one hour,โ and is โexpected to benefit an average of 20,000 travelers daily.โ
โThey can enjoy a better travel experience with complete amenities including a bicycle lane, a service road, and a vegetation and landscaping program we are introducing,โ Oropel said.
The DPWH official mentioned plans to open a portion of BANOCEH from the Bacolod South Road junction, passing through sections of Bacolod-Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto-San Carlos Road and cutting through some barangays and municipalities to improve traffic for commuters.
โIf you are traveling from the south, you will have direct access to Bacolod-Silay Airport, including the extension up to Victorias and Manapla, with the proposed BANOCEH extension going to Sagay City,โ Oropel said.
He added that the extended portion will not only enhance traffic conditions on the main thoroughfare, Bacolod North Road, but will also provide travelers a shorter distance from the Victorias-Manapla area to Don Salvador Benedicto. (Nanette Guadalquiver)
Credits: OrangeMonkey.Rt69