LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Department of Public Works and Highways – Firs Benguet Engineering District (DPWH-FBED) recently shifted the government’s aggressive road clearing campaign in identified problematic portions of the Baguio-Bontoc-Banaue Road, popularly known as the Halsema Highway, to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular traffic in and out of the province.
DPWH-FBED District Engineer Ireneo S. Gallato disclosed that the agency was able to acquire the services of a boom truck that will be used by the personnel of the DPWH, the local police force and the concerned local government to remove the obstructions long the different national roads within its areas of jurisdiction.
Part of the Halsema Highway, particularly from its boundary with Baguio City up to its boundary with Tublay town, is within the jurisdiction of the DPWH-FBED.
H added that the agency is continuously getting complaints from motorists and pedestrians on the presence of permanent and temporary obstructions along various national roads that impede the smooth flow of traffic on the said roadlines that paved the way for the aggressive implementation of the anti-road obstruction and road clearing campaign.
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The district engineer expressed his gratitude to the personnel of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station led by Police Maj. Clef Vencio and the La Trinidad municipal government headed by Mayor Romeo Salda and Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan for their prompt actions on the agency’s request for assistance in the implementation of the road clearing operation in the different national roads in the municipality.
Gallato added that by next week, the road clearing operation will be shifting to a national road within the jurisdiction of Tuba town as appropriate coordinations were already done with the Tuba municipal government headed by Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan and the Tuba Municipal Police Station.
According to him, the temporary obstructions such as motor vehicles and other movable items and equipment are easily removed while there is a difficulty in removing permanent obstructions such as encroachments because of the need to issue the appropriate notices of violation and the subsequent demolition orders to facilitate the immediate removal of the same with the assistance of the demolition teams of local governments.
He asserted that traffic along national roads should be unimpeded that is why the agency welcomes the complaints lodged by concerned citizens on the presence of temporary and permanent obstructions along the said roads so that the agency can immediately initiate the needed actions to remove such obstructions in close coordination with the local governments because of the need for law enforcers and additional personnel to effectively and efficiently enforce the removal of the obstructions.
Gallato called on motor vehicle owners not to use the shoulders of national rods as their junk ships because the agency will not hesitate to tow such illegally parked vehicles to ensure that the flow of traffic in the said areas will be unimpeded and for the erring vehicle owners to settle their fines with the concerned government agencies and the concerned municipal government.
Earlier, the DPWH-FBED resumed its anti-road obstruction and road clearing operation along the Pico-Lamtang Road where dozens of illegally parked vehicles had been issued the notices of violation after being found to have been illegally parked on the road-right-of-way of the said roadline.
By Hent
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