Baguio gets P200 million for more arterial roads

ByDexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – This country’s Summer Capital got funding support from the national government for the construction of more arterial and bypass roads that will help decongest increasing traffic congestions.

Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, vice chairman of the House committee on public works, bared this announcing the availability of at least P200 million for the construction of four arterial and bypass roads in the different parts of the city to boost the city’s linkage with other neighboring towns of Benguet.

Based on Vergara’s list of projects, P50 million each will be earmarked for the construction of the Irisan-Balenben-Pinsao arterial road, the Ambiong-Lamut-Ambuclao arterial road, the Kisad road-Gov. Pack by pass road and the Magsaysay Avenue-Bell Church-South Sanitary Camp bypass road.

The construction of the four new arterial roads around the city is apart from the completion of the 21-kilometer Baguio circumferential road that would link the city’s western and eastern links through the interconnection of major roadlines that cut through the said areas.

With the construction of more arterial roads, the veteran lawmaker expressed confidence that there will be a significant reduction in the heavy volume of traffic in the central business district area since motorists will be forced to take the arterial roads en route to their destinations due to lesser inconvenience and traffic congestions.

Aside from providing alternate routes to vehicles who are often trapped in traffic, Vergara added the building of the new arterial and bypass roads will surely result in growth of businesses outside the city’s central business district area since more investors will be enticed to infuse their capital in potential and strategic locations outside the city but near busy roads that will also help in generating employment opportunities for local residents.

The construction boom in the city is pursuant to the Aquino administration’s desire to have all national roads improved and concreted by the year 2014 and the subsequent concreting of all secondary arterial roads by the end of the administration in 2016.

Because of the expected influx of more infrastructure projects in the coming years, the congressman challenged project implementers to show their ability to complete their awarded works on time and with the right quality amidst the serious negative effects of the continuous afternoon rains so that they will be given a chance to implement more infrastructure projects in the coming years.

Aside from new arterial roads, other vital infrastructure projects which are expected to be constructed around the city to provide convenience to motorists and pedestrians include an underpass along the junction of Naguilian and Bokawkan roads, several overpasses within the central business district, improvement of several deteriorating national roads among others which will again greatly bring back the robust economy of the city which had been stagnant for almost six years due to the change in the city’s administration.