Conversion of local roads to national status pushed

BAGUIO CITY – The city government is pushing conversion of more city and barangay roads to national status to spur development and these could be used as  alternate routes  without passing through the central business district.

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said conversion of city and barangay roads to national status will also guarantee proper maintenance of such road networks to conform with existing standards and that the road will be under the jurisdiction of the public works department.

          In the 1990s, former Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, in close coordination with the city government under Domogan, worked out conversion of 47 city roads to national roads that paved the way for the creation of the Department of Public works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) after the city was able to qualify in the prescribed limit on the length of national roads to warrant the establishment of a district office.

Domogan said some city and barangay roads were qualified for conversion to national roads thus the  need for the local government to closely work with the DPWH to facilitate conversion and lessen burden of the city government in maintaining such roads.

According to him, the development of city and barangay roads that will be converted into national roads will allow their utilization as alternate routes of motorists so that there will be no congestions in the central business district.

Aside from the conversion of city roads to national roads, the city mayor said the city government will also work out the improvement of the remaining barangay roads so that it will be utilized by motorists in going to and from their desired destinations without passing through the city proper which will be part of the overall solution to the worsening traffic congestions in the main roads.

He cited the completion of the 21-kilometer interior circumferential road linking the city’s eastern portion in Happy Hallow and western link in Irisan contributed in providing an alternate route for motorists and going to and from the said areas thereby helping decongest the city proper from the huge volume of vehicles traversing along the major road networks.

        Another recommended solution to the current traffic problem of the city is the building of the outer circumferential road expanding to the La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay areas for greater opportunities of improving accessibility in the said places in the future.