By Betheena Unite
Kennon Road will be temporarily open to light vehicles going to Baguio City during the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Alumni Homecoming and Panagbenga Festival this month, the Department of Public Works and Highways said Tuesday.
It will be temporarily opened to light vehicles from February 14 to 18 and from February 22 to March 4 to cater to motorists going up Baguio City for the two events, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said.
The Kennon Road Task Force, however, recommended limiting the road access to light vehicles with maximum weight of five tons.
According to Villar the temporary access to Kennon Road was recommended by the Kennon Road Task Force to reduce the volume of vehicles plying Marcos Highway for the upcoming Baguio events.
“The DPWH-CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) and other members of Kennon Road Task Force have agreed to open Kennon Road just for motorists going to Baguio. Those leaving Baguio can then utilize Marcos Highway, Naguilian Road or the Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual- Tubao Road,” Villar said.
Meanwhile, residents plying Kennon Road can be allowed passage provided they have submitted their plate numbers to be included in the list of exemption endorsed by their respective barangay chairman to Municipality of Tuba Mayor Ignacio Rivera, DPWH-CAR officer-in-charge Tiburcio Canlas noted.
It was also revealed that the temporary opening of Kennon Road during the weekends was also recommended by the Kennon Road Task Force to give the department ample time to complete the ongoing projects during weekdays.
Kennon Road Task Force is headed by Office of Civil Defense. It is composed of regional offices of DPWH, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, the local government units of Tuba, and Baguio City and other stakeholders.