Folks irked at P44M road works; DPWH justifies

BAGUIO CITY – Residents here are irked at road repair projects along Loakan Road here saying these caused massive traffic jams but the Baguio District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways here justified the P44 million works saying they were delayed by bad weather.

During a coordination meeting held at the city mayor’s office Friday, Engr. Ireneo S. Gallato, DPWH-BCDEO district engineer, explained motorists and residents affected by the multi-million projects are now required to take Kennon road via Camp 7 to reach their respective points of destination while the contractor will work 24-7 on the prescribed works.

Aside from the aforesaid route, motorists from the affected barangays are also given the option to use the completed circumferential road, particularly the Kadaclan to Happy Hallow and Kennon road to Kadaclan, as alternate routes so that the contractor will be able to work on the closed section of the Loakan road from the new Camp John Hay gate to Scout Barrio without being disturbed.

Vice Mayor Daniel T. Farinas said it is high time that local residents and visitors must be aware of the existence of the circumferential road in the city which serves as an alternate route when major roads are closed to vehicular traffic to pave the way for repair and improvement works.
Pursuant to an earlier agreement with officials of the Texas Instruments Philippines, Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Philex Mining Corporation, Gallato said portion of Loakan road after Scout Barrio will remain open to vehicular traffic but asphalt overlay works will continue when the weather condition improves in order to achieve the rehabilitation of the road as earlier identified by the agency for upgrading this year.

The P44 million rehabilitation and repair works along the Loakan road was pinpointed by the DPWH as one of the major priority works of the agency this year in order to provide motorists convenient travel en route to their respective points of destination along the roadline.

If the weather condition will permit, Gallato assured affected motorists and residents that the project will be completed in two months instead of the 4-month project duration so that the public will experience lasting convenience using better road surface.

The DPWH-BCDEO will install the appropriate directional and traffic signs in conspicuous areas within the project sites to guide motorists on the alternative routes to take while the implementation of the project is underway.

According to the district engineer, the DPWH central office has given them timelines in the implementation of the project after the release of funds, thus, they are trying to do everything they could in order to meet the prescribed deadline for the completion of projects without sacrificing quality so that motorists will be able to benefit from its usage once it will be opened for use.

He appealed to affected residents to bear with the temporary inconvenience brought by the implementation of the project since they will be able to enjoy lasting convenience once the roadline will be improved and opened to vehicular traffic within the next two months provided that the weather will improve in the coming days. -- Dexter A. See