MANILA, Philippines - The re-emergence of Northern Luzon as a top tourism destination got a boost with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) completing the reconstruction and improvement of the national road from Laoag City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
With tourism as one of the drivers of the economy, DPWH Region 1 carried out the improvement of about 21.835 kilometers of the Manila North Road in Ilocos Norte at a cost of P209 million, passing the towns of Bacarra, Pasuquin, Burgos and Bangui.
Using the pavement management or highway development and management system, the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and upgrading of damaged national roads will boost the program to further attract tourists to popular places of Ilocos Norte such as St. William Cathedral and the sinking bell tower, the old church in Bacarra, the famous biscocho bread in Pasuquin, Kapurpurawan rock formation and Cape Bojeador in Burgos town, the windmill farm in Bangui, and white sand beaches and the breathtaking Patapat viaduct in Pagudpud.
Among the road improvement works undertaken are asphalt paving of concrete paved road to prevent further deterioration, repair of cracked and damaged pavement, road widening, and road shoulders concrete paving particularly at Burgos section.
To ensure safety of motorists, flexible metal guardrails were also installed at hazard-prone areas as well as application of reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings on new pavement.
Complementing the road improvement works in Ilocos Norte, the DPWH-Ilocos Sur 2nd District Engineering Office has also reported the completion of its rehabilitation, reconstruction and upgrading project on damaged national road along the Manila North Road in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur.
The road improvement project costing P8.778 million involves asphalt overlay of about 6,238.90 square meters and concreting of 821.09 square meters.