BAGUIO CITY – The city government wants the conversion of more city and barangay roads to national status in order to ensure the appropriate development and maintenance of such roads that will be used as alternate routes going to and from the city without passing through the central business district area.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said the conversion of city and barangay roads to national status will also guarantee the proper maintenance of such road networks in order to conform with existing standards and that the said road will be under the jurisdiction of the public works department.
“We have to work out the conversion of some city and barangay roads to national status so that there will be a faster pace in the development of such roads to conform with national standards so that they will be used as alternate routes in going to and from the different barangays without contributing to the congestions in the central business district area,” Domogan added.
It can be recalled that sometime in the 1990s, former Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, in close coordination with the city government under Mayor Domogan, worked out the 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.
The local chief executive pointed out there are some city and barangay roads that are qualified for conversion to national roads that is why there is a need for the local government to closely work with the DPWH to facilitate their conversion and lessen the burden from 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.
By Dexter A. See