DPWH: New road to cut travel from Los Banos to Bae, Laguna in 10 minutes

The newly-inaugurated APEC Road, a project that started during former President Fidel Ramos' administration, will shorten travel time from Los Banos to the municipality of Bae in Laguna to minutes, according to a Thursday press release from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

"With the completion of the APEC Road, travel time from Los Banos to Bae has been reduced to 10 minutes,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said.

The DPWH described the 3.8-kilometer road as a highway that Laguna residents can use as an alternative in traveling from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) Road at the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), to Gov. F.T. San Luis Road at the municipality of Bae.

The agency officially inaugurated the concrete highway on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by Villar, UP President Danilo Concepcion, and UPLB Chancellor Dindo Sanchez.

"This is only one of the many projects included in the master plan to ensure that the university has sufficient implements to attain its full potential as a premier academic institution,” Concepcion said, in a statement.

Aside from providing alternative access, the APEC Road will resolve bottleneck traffic along Calamba - Sta. Cruz - Famy Junction Road and Daang Maharlika Road, the agency said.

Apart from the APEC Road, the three officials also led the inauguration of a 60-meter pre-stressed concrete girder bridge connecting Victoria M. Ela Avenue to Rambutan Road in Los Banos.

"This bridge replaces the old one which was destroyed by Typhoon Milenyo. It also decongests traffic within the area and provide an access point to Pili Drive, APEC Road and IPB Road", Villar said. —Angelica YanG/LDF, GMA News