Kennon Road rock shed, repair completion eyed this year
KENNON Road (DPWH FB)
BAGUIO CITY – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Sunday said the completion of the Kennon Road rock shed and tunnel, and repair of the portion damaged by tropical cyclones will be completed this year.
During the inspection of the infrastructure in Benguet province, Dizon said the road works and repairs will start this week as the P270-million budget is ready for the remaining 100-meter rock shed.
“Kaya naman matapos this year (It can be completed this year),” Dizon told the media.
“Nakita naman natin naman natin na effective ang rock shed. Ang problem lang nabitin dito, ito ang tinamaan (We saw that rock shed is effective, but the problem is that it was not finished, it was hit [by typhoons last year]),” he added.
He said the rock shed protects Kennon Road, a 33.5-kilometer zigzag road that connects Rosario, La Union to Baguio City, from landslides.
“Kailangan siguraduhin natin magsisimula sa foundation, ‘yung magsusuporta sa kalye, at matibay (We need to ensure that it has a solid foundation that will support the road and keep it strong),” he said.
“I think that when this is done and completed, Kennon will be protected and the road section will also be protected, which is critical.”
In a media briefing on Saturday, Dizon said they will bring in Japanese consultants to help them address the slope protection in building roads in Benguet and the entire Cordillera region.
“If we do this, we will not only address soil erosion and landslides that are frequent in your region, but all over the country, where roads are built on mountain slopes,” he said. (PNA)