1 month ago
11
February 6, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) plans to pilot the construction of one-lane farm-to-market roads (FMRs) to stretch the government’s funding for the critical infrastructure project and address the road backlog nationwide faster.
BAFE, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, said it collaborated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to explore the implementation of one-lane FMRs with turnouts in the country.
BAFE pointed out that one-lane FMRs is a “practical” and a “cost-effective” solution in improving access and connectivity of rural farming communities nationwide. The implementation of such would allow the government to maximize its financial resources allocated for FMRs and increase the length of the roads constructed, BAFE explained.
The adoption of one-lane FMRs would significantly address the country’s backlog of road projects, the agency added.
“This approach helps the government address the growing backlog of road projects across the country while maintaining the integrity of the FMR network. By optimizing limited resources, the government can extend the reach of essential infrastructure, benefiting more rural communities,” BAFE said.
One-lane FMRs is one of the three road lane categories under the DA’s Administrative Order 16 Series of 2020 that outlined the revised guidelines governing the implementation of the government’s FMR program.
“The one-lane FMR is designed not only to improve access to markets for farmers but also to mitigate the risk of agricultural land conversion into residential, commercial, and industrial developments,” BAFE said.
“The restriction of traffic to agricultural and fisheries logistics vehicles will preserve the primary function of these roads, safeguarding the land for its intended purpose of supporting agricultural activities. This contributes to long-term rural development and the protection of the agricultural sector,” BAFE added.
BAFE said the proposed one-lane FMR project would feature either a 2.5-meter or three-meter road width with each road having a turnout that would be one meter wide and 60 meters long. There would be a minimum distance of 1,000 meters or one kilometer between consecutive turnouts, it added.
The project is only designed for flat terrain areas with proper road signages and an average daily traffic of less than 50.
BAFE said it would coordinate with DA regional field offices in listing the FMRs that would be considered for the pilot implementation of the one-lane projects. The agency also vowed that it would coordinate with the concerned proponents and beneficiaries of the FMRs to address potential issues or concerns during the project implementation.
The DA has a P23.241 billion budget for the construction of at least 1,540 kilometers of FMRs nationwide this year.
Under the government’s national FMR network plan 2023-2028 (FMRNP), the country’s FMR backlog is pegged at 64,155.2 kilometers. The FMRNP indicated that the cost of constructing a kilometer of FMR is at least P15 million.
