Sunday, April 22, 2007 LT folks worried about road widening project By Jane Cadalig
RESIDENTS and property owners affected by the widening of a national road in La Trinidad have brought their petition before the Benguet Provincial Board.
Lot owners including business establishments and other private institutions earlier requested the Benguet Engineering District to narrow down the four-lane Pico-Puguis-Lamtang national road expansion into three-lane.
In a manifesto, affected property owners said their area is already narrow and congested to accommodate a four-lane road.
Aside from this, they expressed apprehension that the widening project might benefit only a few, particularly the business establishments, whom they said could use the expanded lanes as their parking areas.
Rightful compensation for the lots that are encroached by the road expansion was also raised.
Recently, the Engineering Office advised one of the affected residents to remove the improvements made within the road-right-of way, which is covered by the road expansion program.
The Board committee on infrastructure was already tasked to come up with a comment regarding petition.
The road widening project aims to decongest vehicular traffic at the municipality's main thoroughfare and to introduce an alternate route where motorists could pass through.
