TUBA, Benguet – The municipal government recommended to the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) to seriously study the proposed installation of a weigh bridge along the Marcos highway to check overloaded motor vehicles passing through the roadline and prevent accidents and traffic along the highway.
Mayor Ignacio Rivera pointed out the local police force formulated a traffic scheme along the major roadline leading to Baguio city during the rainy season that greatly contributed in preventing accidents in the area for over a month now ensuring the smooth flow of traffic along the highway.
“We do not want the repeat of incidents in the past that have resulted to monstrous traffic affecting travelers to the municipality but most especially to Baguio city, thus, we formulated a doable traffic scheme while awaiting more permanent interventions from other government agencies to ensure the smooth flow of traffic,” mayor Rivera stressed.
Under the new traffic plan, heavy trucks will be temporarily advised to stop in strategic portions of the highway at the height of a heavy downpour while overloaded trucks will be required to seek assistance from owners so that smaller trucks could be deployed to help haul goods that will be delivered to their clients.
Further, light vehicles going to the western part of Baguio city will be advised to take the Tubao-Aringay-San Pascual-Asin-Baguio road to help decongest the main highway from heavy volume of vehicles that could result to monstrous traffic jams once road-block incidents occur along portions of the highway.
Mayor Rivera claimed the installation of a weigh bridge should be the least priority because what is important is for motorists to be provided with the real-time updates of the road situation for them to know what to do during emergency situations.
For several instances, there had been standstill traffic from the city proper up to Pugo, La Union when some wayward trucks stalled along the steep accident-prone areas of the road making it difficult for responders to clear the road.
Marcos Highway and Naguilian Road are the two main highways being used by motorists when going up to Baguio city after the scenic and historic Kennon road was closed to vehicular traffic for over a month now after some incidents occurred, particularly the unabated falling rocks, that have compromised the safety of motorists going in and out of the city.
Rivera expressed his gratitude to all concerned stakeholders for their utmost cooperation to the traffic schemes that are being implemented along major roads leading to the city because these contributed in preventing untoward incidents that could compromise the safety of the motoring and commuting public.
By HENT
