P453 million Baguio circuit road completed

BAGUIO CITY – Local residents and visitors can now freely move around the city from the western link in Barangay Irisan to the eastern link in Barangay Happy Hallow in just 20 minutes following completion of the P453 million 15.9-km Baguio circumferential road.

Engineer Ireneo S. Gallato, district engineer of the Baguio City District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways said the new circuit road was envisioned to help decongest traffic in city’s central business district and provide alternate routes for local residents and visitors wanting to visit outskirts of the city without wasting time.

“The completion of the newest circumferential road in the city would help improve the economic activities of people living within the barangays to be traversed by the roadline thereby contributing to the overall improvement of the living condition of people in the outskirts of the Summer Capital,” Gallato said.

According to Gallato, incidental to convenience in delivery of basic services, decentralization of city population, business, educational institutions from the central business district had been initially done because of the new road.

Gallato said the new  road connects with five major roads linking the Summer Capital to the lowlands, particularly Naguilian road, Marcos highway, Kennon Road, Baguio-Philex road and the Baguio-Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road.

He described the western link section from Naguilian road to Marcos highway up to Kennon road junctions as “beneficial to the increasing student population of the St. Louis University (SLU) campus in Bakakeng, residents of more or less five subdivisions and will likewise inter-connect with the existing national, city and barangay roads leading to most visited tourist destinations such as the Loakan airport, Camp John Hay, Baguio Country Club, Botanical Garden, Mansion House and Mines View Park.

Gallato said eastern link of the road is from Kennon road leading to Kadaklan Village to Happy Hallow, Baguio Country Club up to Pacdal road junction.

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said  completion of the road will help spur the Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) development area, one of the primary programs of the Regional Development Council.