Benguet solon blames foreign consultants for defective Vizcaya road

By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Foreign consultants should be held responsible for the defects in the implementation of the R1.7-billion rehabilitation of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road.

Rep. Samuel M. Dangwa made this statement, saying the design used for the project is not suitable for the terrain in the Cordillera.

“Unfortunately,” he said, “it will be again the government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways, which will spend for the corrective work to be done on the over-100-kilometer road.”

Earlier, Dangwa criticized the project, saying while it is a national road, it is more of a first-class farm-to-market road because the contractor failed to widen the narrow portions.

This defect makes it dangerous for huge trucks and buses to pass through.
While the newly paved road is expected to boost economic and tourism development in Regions I, II and the Cordillera, heavy vehicles passing through the new alternate route should take precautions to prevent accidents especially when negotiating the sharp, narrow curves of the highway.

Time of travel on the newly rehabilitated Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road from Baguio to any part of Region II is reduced by almost three hours when compared to the travel time on the old route which passed through Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and Dalton Pass.

Aside from recommending the establishment of view decks on the stretch of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road to enhance the promotion of tourism, Dangwa cited the importance of beautifying the communities as well as widening the narrow portions of the road to ensure the safety of the motoring public.

Motorists coming from the Ilocos Region could pass through the road en route to Region II without passing through the long Pangasinan-Dalton route.

The Benguet lawmaker said he will coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that the required fund for the implementation of the corrective measures on the narrow portions of the highway would be released immediately.

The Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road starts in Baguio City, passes through the towns of Itogon and Bokod in Benguet and the towns of Kayapa, Bambang and Aritao in
Nueva Vizcaya.

It has a total length of at least 103 kilometers.