MANILA – The chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday announced that bicycle lanes have been included in infrastructure projects since 2016.
In a Facebook post, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said they started incorporating lanes for bicycles in their major undertakings particularly the Build, Build, Build program such as the Laguna Lake Highway.
“Since 2016, DPWH has incorporated segregated bicycle lanes to major infrastructure projects, like the Laguna Lake Highway. #BuildBuildBuild,” he said.
There are proposals to build more bike lanes in Metro Manila as alternative transportation as part of the new normal under the community quarantine being implemented due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“We have built bike lanes e.g. in the 10 km Laguna Lake Highway; in all our road projects, we want to put a bike lane if there is a space,” he said in an interview over the weekend.
Last February, the DPWH opened to cyclists the 5.58-kilometer bicycle lane facility along the stretch of Laguna Lake Highway in Taguig City.
The 3-meter wide bicycle lane is protected by a 2-meter planting strip to make cycling safe and comfortable for everyone.
The bike lane component was added to the 6.94-kilometer Laguna Lake Highway which was constructed to serve as an alternative route to EDSA and C-5.
The DPWH has allocated PHP1.28-billion for the construction of the Highway, including the bicycle lane with provisions of street lights and road safety signages.
The multi-billion structure also features 1.5-meter sidewalks on both sides for pedestrians and an elevated dike to protect the people against flooding.
Under the ‘Build. Build. Build’ program, the government is set to construct roads, bridges, airports, railways among others, covering 2017 to 2022, with a total budget of PHP8 trillion.