P140 M set to complete 21-km Baguio City road

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The national government downloaded to the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways P140 million to fund completion of the 21-kilometer Baguio circumferential road that will significantly reduce monstrous traffic jams at the city’s central business district area.

A portion of the amount will be used to purchase the road-right-of-way of a well-known business tycoon whose poperty will be affected by the road opening from barangay Sto. Tomas proper and Camp 7 to complete the circuit road which commenced construction over eleven years ago.

Ireneo S. Gallato, DPWH – Baguio City District Engineering Office district engineer,said remaining work on the circumferential road is the road opening but project implementors could not actually push through with the project because of the expensive road-right-of-way compensation being demanded by representatives of businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco whose property will be traversed by the road to complete the loop and serve its purpose as a full access route from the western part of the city in Irisan to the eastern part in Happy Hallow and vice versa.

He said motorists wanting to visit the scenic views in this mountain resort city will no longer need to be caught in traffic at the city’s central business district once the circumferential road project will be completed considering that they will pass through concreted and widened roads in the city’s barangays to reach their desired destination either in the city’s western, eastern, northern or southern parts.

Once the circumferential road project will be completed within the year or early next year, Gallato said more foreign and domestic visitors will be enticed to visit the city and enjoy its scenic views along the said road and will greatly contribute to the improvement of the local tourism industry which is a major factor in sustaining the city’s economic growth.

Since 2000, the national government spent a total of P330 million to complete the project but the excessive road-right-of-way claims of some private claimants have stalled the project’s completion.

However, Gallato disclosed the agency will be sending technical people to talk with the influential businessman to come out with a “win-win solution” so funds already released for the project will not again be wasted thereby needing more appropriations in the coming year which will continuously delay the project.

Included in the remaining works to complete the project is the widening of portions of the Sto. Tomas proper to Camp 7 barangays, construction of a bypass bridge, concreting of unpaved road sections, establishment of slope protection walls and improvement of drainage systems among other significant works that will allow the convenience of motorists when traversing the said road.

Gallato said the Baguio circuit road is vital in providing alternate routes to motorists wanting to spend a fruitful break in the city, thus, the need to complete the new city road.