It will be an answered prayer for motorists plying the Diadi – Sta. Fe section of the Maharlika Highway after the Regional Development Council (RDC) 2 and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) 2 approved and endorsed during their joint meeting on June 23, 2015 in Cauayan City three resolutions concretizing the solution to the worsening traffic congestion in the area.

Reporting for the Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC), Department of the Interior and Local Government OIC-Regional Director Marlo L. Iringan said that this particular section of the national highway is actually the shortest route from the region going to Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. It is also the main thoroughfare of vehicles transporting goods in and out of Region 2.

“Given the volume of vehicles passing through Dalton Pass, this road section is prone to damages,” stated Dir. Iringan, who is also the Head Secretariat of the RPOC 2.

Dir. Iringan further said, because of these damages, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is incessantly conducting road maintenance and re-blocking activities.

“In addition to this, there are also instances when long vehicles break down in the middle of the road, thereby causing more traffic,” he added.

The three resolutions approved by the RDC 2 and the RPOC 2 mainly request the DPWH RO2 and the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya to effect immediate actions to address these concerns.

Specifically, the DPWH RO2 was requested to organize and ensure an inter-institutional arrangement to install a 24-hour standby heavy equipment or wrecker in strategically located road sections within Diadi and Sta. Fe. The agency was also requested to improve the Diadi-Tarictic-Ramon road and upgrade this to an all-weather alternate road.

Meanwhile, PLGU-Nueva Vizcaya and the LGUs of Diadi and Sta. Fe were asked to install signages of alternate routes in their area.

With the two Councils’ joint resolutions, motorists will have a better and smoother journey along Dalton Pass. Economic losses due to delay in the delivery of goods and services will be lessened as well.