LA TRINIDAD, Benguet December 31 – Mayor Edna C. Tabanda hailed Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan for working out the inclusion of a total of P77 million worth of infrastructure projects in the P2.6 trillion national budget this year to help solve the monstrous vehicular and pedestrian traffic in this capital town.
Cosalan committed to bring in more beautification infrastructure projects for as long as officials and their constituents are united for the same cause of growth and development.
“La Trinidad is the window of Benguet as it creates the true impression to tourists that what is beautiful in one area is generally the situation in the whole of Benguet,’ Cosalan stressed.
The lawmaker cited part of the appropriations will be used for the expansion of the existing road to a 4-lane road project along the Halsema highway, particularly at Km. 6 and three pedestrian overpasses.
Tabanda cited the P41 million earmarked for the 4-lane road project from Calajo restaurant passing through the bridge at Narvaez residence to the area fronting Al’s restaurant below the provincial capitol and the P36 million funding for three pedestrian overpasses are significant infrastructure projects geared towards improving and partly solving the tremendous traffic jams in the town.
Under4 the regular infrastructure budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways – First Benguet Engineering District, the two overpasses will be built below the capitol where the intersection to Buyagan and the junction of Halsema highway are situated while the other overpass will be established at the intersection of the Halsema highway with Pico road, particularly between Jollibee and Petron.
“We are elated over the continuous allocation of national funds for the infrastructure development of our locality through the efforts of Rep. Cosalan. We are optimistic that our serious problem on daily traffic congestions along the Halsema highway will be solved with the completion of the projects,” Tabanda said.
Earlier, the municipal government implemented the number coding traffic scheme to help reduce the volume of vehicles plying the main roads of the town but the robust growth in tourist arrivals over the past several weeks worsened the monstrous traffic jams in almost all main and arterial roads leading to the famous strawberry farms.
She appealed to local residents and visitors who will be inconvenienced once the implementation of the funded infrastructure projects will commence to practice maximum tolerance, patience and understanding in dealing with the expected worsening of traffic since they stand to benefit with lesser traffic jams once the projects will be completed by the middle part of this year.
“We are doing everything within our limits to solve the daily traffic mess but we are always overtaken by the unexpected increase in the volume of vehicles traversing our major roads. We have to collaborate with concerned national government agencies in order to improve the status of our roads for them to be able to accommodate the increasing volume of vehicles and pedestrians,” she said.
