Kennon Road to be rehabilitated into an all-weather road

Baguio City, Philippines – The Cordilleras’ most popular zigzag road could soon become an all-weather road once the bill for its rehabilitation and maintenance is approved into law.

House Bill 6491 or the bill seeking the total rehabilitation and maintenance of Kennon Road now awaits the House of Representatives’ ratification before finally transmitted to Malacañang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature, Congressman Mark Go said Thursday, September 24, 2021.

The Senate, he relayed has already approved on the 3rd and final reading the bill which will eventually transform the 33.543-kilometer Kennon Road into an all-weather road once it became a law as this would mandate the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to undertake Kennon Road’s full rehabilitation and maintenance.

Prior to the rehab, DPWH is mandated to coordinate first with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera for the evaluation and assessment of the current conditions of the road to determine the necessary engineering works appropriate for its rehabilitation. A feasibility study shall likewise be conducted to primarily plan the extent and duration of the project.

The road works into one of the major access roads leading to the Benguet Province and is considered as one of the oldest and most popular highways to Baguio City when pushed through, will cover parts of Kennon Road that pass through along barangays Camps 1 to 6 in Tuba, Benguet and Camps 7 and 8 in Baguio City.

Kennon Road, as recalled, has been the site of numerous accidents and had experienced frequent closures due to landslides. With this, Go said that a full rehabilitation of the 117-year-old highway would assure the safety and convenience of travelers using the said road.

“Another important consideration is ensuring that Kennon Road is passable. Redundant, limited, and inefficient repair has made the use of the road irregular, with motorists never knowing when it is safe for passage,” Go said.

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