LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Public works officials underscored that motorists from the lowlands going in and out of Baguio city and the Cordillera prefer to use the scenic and historic Kennon road and Marcos highway based on the results of the motor vehicle count that was conducted along major highways over the past several weeks.
Engr. Ireneo S. Gallato, district engineer of the Department of Public works and Highways – First Benguet Engineering district (DPWH-FBED), said that the motor vehicle count was conducted in strategic portions of Kennon Road, Marcos highway, Naguilian Road, Baguio-Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual-Tubao Road and the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road from February 14-18, 2019 and from February 22 – March 4, 2019 purposely to assess the preference of motorists on what roads to use when going in and out of Baguio city.
Based on the manual road count conducted by deployed personnel of the agency along the different roadlines leading to Baguio City from February 14 to 18, 2019, there were 12,821 heavy and light vehicles that came up to the Baguio and Benguet Area, some 5,897 light vehicles used Kennon Road in going up to the city, 2,138 motor vehicles used the Asin-Nangalisan Road and 5,969 vehicles used the Naguilian Road in going up to the city.
During the conduct of the manual vehicle count by DPWH-FBED personnel in the five major roadlines leading to Baguio city last February 22 – March 4, there were some 24,627 motor vehicles that came up to Baguio using Marcos highway and there were a total of 38,587 vehicles that went down to the lowlands using the same road.
For Kennon road, there were some 15,583 motor vehicles that used the road in going up to Baguio while there were only 3,600 vehicles that used the same road in going back to their points of origin from the lowlands or in communities along the stretch of the roadline.
Further, Gallato reported that there were some 10,404 motor vehicles that came up to Baguio through Naguilian Road and there were some 13,315 vehicles that used the same road in going back to the lowlands.
In the case of the newly opened Asin-Nangalian road, there were only 4,923 vehicles that tried the alternate road in going up to Baguio while there were some 5,185 vehicles that went down to the lowlands using the same road.
Some 4,599 motor vehicles went up to Baguio using the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road during the period of the manual count while there were some 4,701 vehicles that used the same road in going back to their destinations in the lowlands.
Gallato explained the outcome of the manual vehicle count clearly indicates that Baguio City still remains one of the premier tourist destination north of Manila, thus, the need to ensure that all roads leading to the city should be opened to vehicular traffic to lessen the congestions that will be created in other major roads.
He said that the DPWH-BFDE will be submitting the results of the manual vehicle counts that were conducted in the five major roadlines leading to Baguio city to the regional and central offices of the agency for their perusal and to guide them in their future decisions on how to manage the influx of motorists to Baguio during weekends and the upcoming holidays, especially the Holy Week this April.
By HENT
Banner photo by Armando M. Bolislis
