MABALACAT CITY — The DPWH has ordered construction crews to complete the long-delayed Atlu-Bola Bypass Road within 60 days, following a site inspection this week by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Mabalacat City Mayor Geld Aquino.
If the deadline holds, the road connecting the NLEX Sta. Ines Exit to Barangays Mangalit and Atlu-Bola could open before summer — ending a construction period that began nearly seven years ago.
The bypass is designed to pull traffic away from the Mabalacat Public Market intersection, one of the city’s most congested points. Once complete, motorists traveling from the NLEX exit to the city’s eastern barangays will no longer have to pass through the market area. Local officials estimate the bypass could cut peak-hour travel time on that route by 20 to 30 minutes.
Secretary Dizon, who has family roots in the Clark-Pampanga area, was direct during the inspection about the project’s history.
“This is a simple project on flat terrain, yet it remained unfinished for years,” Dizon said.
The prolonged delay was attributed to unresolved coordination issues between DPWH and NLEX Corp. Those issues have since been worked out, according to the department. Construction activity has visibly picked up since mid-February, with materials testing and concrete pouring now running in parallel across different sections of the road rather than sequentially.
Mayor Aquino, who has pushed for the bypass since taking office, said the project has been a long time coming.
“This bypass road has long been our dream,” Aquino said. “Once completed, it will help reduce traffic at our market intersection and provide motorists with a more efficient route.”
Vendors near the Mabalacat Public Market said they are watching the construction closely. Several expressed hope that while the bypass would divert trucks and through-traffic away from the area, it would make the market itself easier to reach for shoppers coming from surrounding barangays.
The 60-day target puts the completion date at approximately mid-May 2026. DPWH has not yet announced a formal inauguration date.
PampangaToday will monitor construction progress on the Atlu-Bola Bypass Road and report on any changes to the completion timeline.