BAGUIO CITY – The historic Kennon Road -- the easiest road to Baguio City and Benguet – is now open for all motorists.

Citing the recent positive developments in the road rehabilitation, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said he decided to request the Department of Public Works and Highway-Cordillera to open Kennon to improve traffic management in the city.
Kennon road is the fastest route going to the Summer Capital and to the province of Benguet. The opening of Kennon road to two-way traffic will help ease out the monstrous traffic congestions along Marcos highway and other major roads leading to Baguio City, especially during this summer season.
The road has been closed to traffic for quite some time now because of damages wrought by natural calamities that trace back since a killer quake struck the country on July 16, 1990.

The public, according to Mayor Magalong, has been complaining of the snail-paced implementation of the existing rehabilitation projects along the historic zigzag road.
“We cannot afford to continue closing Kennon Road to vehicular traffic because it will create a negative impact on the city’s tourism industry,” said Magalong.
“While the DPWH was able to open another access road leading to Baguio city, the opening of Kennon road to light vehicles is still necessary,” Magalong stressed.
All motorists/road users are hereby provided with the following reminders and closure protocol to ensure maximum safety and security along Kennon Road.
Motorists are advised to strictly adhere to traffic and parking rules (and safety signages) and maintain a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour, particularly in the many curved portions of the highway.
Vehicles/trucks exceeding the five tons (gross tonnage) limit shall be prohibited to pass through Kennon Road, and in case of inclement weather or detected ground shaking/earthquake with or without aftershock/s which may trigger landslides and rockfalls, the municipality of Tuba, through the Tuba MPS, in coordination with the DPWH-CAR and Office of the Civil Defense-Cordillera shall immediately close Kennon Road until public safety is guaranteed.
According to Magalong, the opening of Kennon road now is a great relief to motorists and vacationers, as it will make it easier for them to get to the city and save more on fuel.
Although Kennon road is the shortest of the four major access roads, travel time usually takes an experienced commuter from 45 minutes to an hour to negotiate the 41.2-kilometer (25.6 mi) steep and winding climb by car.