A new road network could connect Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, and Calamba City in Laguna. This comes after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed a Consultant's Services Contract for the Detailed Engineering Design (D.E.D.) of the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN) project.

Present during the ceremonial signing were members of the DPWH, Asia Development Bank, and several engineering/consulting firms. Among those included Acting DPWH Secretary Roger 'Oging' Mercado, Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations (UPMO) Emil K. Sadain, DPWH UPMO Overall Project Manager for ADB Soledad R. Florencio, and Country Director of ADB to the Philippines Kelly Bird.

As part of the contract agreement amounting to PHP 135.485 million, the D.E.D. will be carried out for 15 months between December 2021 to February 2023. Moreover, the D.E.D. for the LLRN will get additional funding from the ADB via the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) under loan number 3886-PHI.

Phase 1 of the LLRN project will have a 37.60-km main alignment with 8 interchanges. These include Sucat, Alabang, Tunasan, San Pedro/Binan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, and Calamba. It will have a two-lane primary road that will consist of an 11.80km viaduct from Lower Bicutan to Muntinlupa, and a 25.80km combination of onshore viaduct and embankment from Muntinlupa to Calamba.

Aside from the road itself, the project will also take into consideration planned developments introduced by various local government units (LGUs) along its proposed alignment. Additionally, the project will feature an additional lane in each direction from Sucat, Muntinlupa to Sta. Rosa, Laguna; as well as a cycling track and promenade from Tunasan, Muntinlupa, to San Pedro, Laguna.

With the D.E.D. set to be carried out for 15 months, it will be a while before we see any physical development of the upcoming LLRN. Still, we certainly cannot wait until the DPWH begins the initial construction of the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network in the coming years.