BY: ANGELICA ARQUERO
Despite the cool weather in Benguet, student Roxan can’t help but feel frustrated by the heavy traffic.
Her usual 30-minute commute from Baguio City to La Trinidad now takes over an hour.
“It’s frustrating. Even if I leave early, I still get stuck in traffic because the road isn’t finished yet. I hope it gets completed soon, especially with upcoming festivals,” said Roxan Asingwan, a student.
Tourist Billy from Palawan shares the same sentiment, enduring the traffic to visit Stobosa at Kilometer 3.
“Traffic was bad, especially since we came from Igorot Kingdom. It took a long time to get to Stobosa,” said Billy Ranigo, a tourist.
Construction on Kilometer 3 to Kilometer 5 of Halsema Highway started in June 2024 but remains unfinished.
Since June 2024, road rehabilitation has been ongoing here at Km3 to Km5 in La Trinidad, Benguet.
But until now, it’s far from finished. Locals are asking when this ordeal will finally end.
According to Engr. Anne Faye Handig of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Benguet 1st District Engineering Office: “Some might think the project stopped, but December was full of holidays, and establishments requested us not to work on their front areas, especially in outer lanes. But work is ongoing.”
Progress was slowed by typhoons and the tourist influx last December.
Still, the agency assures that they will finish before the June 2025 deadline.
Authorities advise motorists to use alternate routes to avoid heavy traffic during construction.
