Roman Expressway to become a showcase of economic prosperity

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The expansion of Roman Expressway would create a commercial and financial district and virtually become a showcase of the provinces’ economic prosperity in the Western Central Luzon.

Leo Ruben Manrique, secretary of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Abucay, this province identified  the expansion of the essential  structures under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the people and investment opportunities in the province are the installation of  smart streetlights,  construction and operation  of commercial areas, layovers and parking lots  along the 68 kilometer stretch of Roman Expressway while the on–going rehabilitation and upgrading program  converting  the expressway from four to eight lanes  to be funded from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) yearly budget.

The  streetlights mechanism is purposely for the convenience, safety and security of motorists, cargo trucks, oil tankers, local and foreign guests and other stakeholders  using the  Roman Expressway which is the main road that connects municipalities and the lone component city of the province including vital industrial areas  like Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), Petron Bataan Refinery, the Petrochem Park, Special Economic Defense Zone and Hermosa Special Zone and the Mount Samat Tourism Enterprise and Infrastructure  Zone.

Manrique, a prolific writer is also publisher-editor of Luzon Tribune, one of the most respected weekly newspapers in Central Luzon, has attributed the road development program of Bataan Governor Albert Raymond S. Garcia as a notable scheme since it plays a significant function in Region 3 because it is strategically located right at the middle of the country’s growth triad corridor of AFAB, SBMA, Clark ecozone and Metro Manila.

Manrique described the provinces’ key task in the Central Luzon growth stripe as an industrial heartland due to the outstanding presence of multi-national energy producing firms and export oriented manufacturing plants in the historic peninsula.

Aside from these advantages, the province is also a strategic route and transshipment point which is a fundamental indicator of Bataan’s input to the overall economic productivity in Central Luzon.