Paul John Juson
HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT
High Way Engineering A highway is any public road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks: It is not an equivalent term to freeway (motorway), or a translation for autobahn, auto route, etc.
Pan-Philippine Highway
The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika ("Nobility/freeman") Highway is a 3,517 km (2,185 mi) network of roads, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in the Philippines, serving as the country's principal transport backbone. The northern terminus of the highway is in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, and the southern terminus is in Zamboanga City. The highway was rehabilitated and improved in 1997 with assistance from the Japanese government, and dubbed the Philippine-Japan Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway. In 1998, the Department of Tourism designated 35 sections of the highway as "Scenic Highways", with developed amenities for travellers and tourists.
Philippines – Road Improvement and Institutional Development Project
The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan and administration of cofinancing for the Philippines road subsector. Description The project aims to finance the periodic maintenance of about 340 kilometers of national roads on the west coast of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions; design three roads to be maintained under the project and other roads to be maintained or improved under future projects; and strengthen institutional capacity in the Department of Public Works and Highways. Amount $62 million loan from ADB's ordinary capital resources and a $30 million loan from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the cofinancier for the project.
Examples of Developed Highways
*Separation of C-3 Road (G. Araneta Avenue) and Quezon Avenue *Road improvement project leading to Gumasa white sand beaches of Sarangani completed *6-Km tourism road completed for Agusan del Norte *DPWH completed P176-m widening of airport access road in Misamis *Ayala bridge lifting
National Roads are classified into: Primary Road - are roads that connect cities of > 100,000 population. Secondary Road - other roads which complement with the national arterial roads to provide access to main population and production centers of the country. Tertiary Road - other existing roads under DPWH which perform a local function.
Iconic Roads in the Philippines 1. Pan-Philippine Highway
Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as “Daang Maharlika”, is the longest highway in the Philippines. Labelled as N1 in the Route Numbering System of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), it stretches 3,517 kilometers from Laoag City, Ilocos Norte to Zamboanga City and passes by the Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and other scenic spots. It was first conceptualized in 1965 during the administration of Ferdinand Marcos. In 1997, the highway was further improved with assistance from the Japanese government. Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry routes close the sea gap between Matnog, Sorsogon and Allen, Northern Samar; and between Liloan, Southern Leyte and Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. Islands of Samar and Leyte are connected by the San Juanico bridge. The Maharlika Highway is also part of the Asian Highway Network, a project of Asian Land Transportation Infrastructure Development (ALTID) of the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Within this regional road network, the route number given to this highway is AH26. (READ: AH26: What does this road sign mean?)
2. Halsema Highway
Halsema Highway, also known as Benguet-Mountain Province Road, is the country's highest road constructed above sea level. Its highest point, 2.26 km (7,400 ft) above sea level, is situated in the municipality of Atok, Benguet. Initially built as a foot trail in the 1920s, Halsema Highway is now a major highway in Northern Luzon. The 150-km road connects Baguio City to the municipality of Bontoc, Mountain Province.
While parts of the winding highway are especially dangerous during the rainy season as roads become slippery and landslides are common, a drive along Halsema offers cold, breezy mountain air and breathtaking views. What you shouldn't miss on this road: the view of Mt. Pulag, a glimpse of Ambuklao Dam and clouds rolling over the mountain range.
3. Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway
Region III’s Subic -Clark- Tarlac Expressway is the country’s longest expressway.
Passing by breathtaking view of fields and majestic mountain ranges, the 93.77kilometer road extends from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to Tarlac City and passes through the heart of Hacienda Luisita. Built from 2005-2008, the SCTEX has since made tourist destinations in Central and Northern Luzon more accessible. Travel time to Zambales', Bataan's and Olongapo's pristine beaches, Mt. Pinatubo trek via Capas, Tarlac, the Hundred Islands in
Pangasinan and La Union's Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point are now almost cut into half.
4. Commonwealth Avenue
Spanning 10-18 lanes, Commonwealth Avenue is the widest road in the Philippines. It is also known as the "killer highway" due to the frequent accidents in the area. First constructed in the 1960s, it starts from the Quezon Memorial Circle inside the Elliptical Road and ends at the Quirino Highway in Novaliches. The avenue is divided into two portions: the 6-8 lane Fairview Avenue and the 18-lane Don Mariano Marcos Avenue.
5. Colon Street
Cebu’s Colon Street is the country’s oldest national road. It was inaugurated in 1565 and was named after the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon in Spanish).
Located in downtown Cebu City, Colon Street is one of the most crowded streets in the city. The whole stretch is filled with shops, stalls, sidewalk vendors and passenger jeepneys comparable to Manila's Divisoria.
