Yap thanks PBBM for inclusion of Kennon rehab as PPP priority project
Full rehabilitation of Kennon Road may soon be realized following the announcement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that it will be prioritized under public-private partnerships (PPP).
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently bared projects, including the rehabilitation of Kennon Road, to be prioritized under PPP includes expressways in Cebu and Nueva Ecija.
DPWH said the rehab for Kennon Road, one of the major access roads to Benguet Province will be at
₱12.45-billion.
“We thank our President Bongbong Marcos for heeding our call to prioritize Benguet, particularly the rehabilitation of Kennon Road. Hindi tayo binobola noong sinabi niya noong kampanya na he will help our province. This upcoming project will spur growth, it will boost our tourism activities in Benguet, it will provide jobs, it will create economic opportunities, more than the safe passage of people traversing the Kennon Road. Maraming salamat Mahal na Pangulo,” Yap said.
Built by the Americans in the 1900s, Kennon Road has been undergoing major rehabilitation by phase since it was destroyed during the 1990 Killer Quake. The road was fully closed to motorists during the pandemic and re-opened on April 1, 2021.
“I keep wondering bakit masyadong matagal na nakasara yung Kennon to public when I first came as a Caretaker, kaya we initiated yung funding for the demonstration bridge which is in full swing now in its construction. The next few years will be very crucial to Benguet development as we embark on this massive project to be funded by the national government,” Yap added.
Aside from the full rehabilitation of Kennon, Yap is also pushing for the improvement of major road networks in the province including the installation of safety devices and road barriers that will help guide motorists when traversing the treacherous roads of Benguet.
“We are now eyeing yung ibang major roads of Benguet, to have road safety devices and streetlights para ma-avoid yung mga road accidents. Similar to road safety devices na naumpisahan last year and mga solar street lights sa La Trinidad, we envision a brighter Benguet, literally and figuratively speaking. Tuloy tuloy pa din ang mga road openings to further open up our province to more opportunities. Exciting times ahead,” Yap said. ###
