City council to DPWH: Install weighbridges at Baguio entry points

By Jordan Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The city council has urged the Dept. of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera Administrative Division to install a truck scale or a weighbridge along the Aspiras-Palispis Highway.
    The council earlier also requested the said agency to consider installing truck scales at the other entry points of the city.
In July 2020, the council called on the DPWH Cordillera and Region 1 offices to install a truck weigh station along the Aspiras-Palispis Highway, formerly known as Marcos Highway, for the protection of the road as well as the safety of road users.
    The DPWH Cordillera was invited to attend the council’s regular session last Monday to apprise the council concerning the aforementioned request.
    Engineer Nelia Antonio of the regional DPWH maintenance division said the regional office had already proposed to the central office installation of a weighbridge along the said highway and is awaiting the disbursement of funds needed for the procurement of the equipment and the installation of the machine.
    Aspiras-Palispis Highway is one of the three main highways connecting the city to La Union.
    The stretch of the highway that is within the jurisdiction of La Union is designated as the Aspiras portion while the Baguio-Benguet stretch is the Palispis portion.
    The proposed weighbridge shall be installed somewhere near the boundary between the provinces of Benguet and La Union.
    Antonio stressed that the prime purpose of a weighbridge is to maintain and keep the roads in good condition.
    The weighbridge will determine whether or not a truck is allowed to pass based on the maximum weight capacity for trucks on highways which is 13 tons (28,660 lbs).
    Overloaded trucks are not allowed to pass and are instructed to turn back.
    In the absence of a permanent built-in weighing machine along the Aspiras-Palispis Highway, Antonio said a portable weighbridge is currently used during random inspections.
    The city council pointed out that overloaded trucks do not only impair road pavements but also endanger the lives of road users increasing the odds of a serious accident occurring, thus the urgent need to install weighbridges along access roads leading to the city.