Back in March, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced that they were conducting the preparatory survey and other related works for the proposed Dalton Pass East Road.

If the new road materializes, it will decongest the Dalton Pass Road (formerly Balete Pass) and will make the transport of goods from Regions 1 and 2 to Metro Manila (and vice versa) faster and more convenient.

Just recently, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board, with President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos, Jr. as its chairman, approved the master plan for the new Dalton Pass East Alignment Road.

The new Dalton Pass East Alignment Road is a 2x2 lane highway that will bypass the “old” Dalton Pass Road, stretching 23 kilometers from San Jose, Nueva Ecija, to Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya. The project costs PHP 67.4 billion and is planned to be completed by 2031.

“The project will facilitate the seamless transport of people and the delivery of essential goods and services within the region,” said NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan during yesterday’s Palace briefing.