By Rachel Magday

 

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon pledged to dispatch a technical team to study several Nueva Vizcaya road proposals raised by Rep. Timothy Joseph E. Cayton during deliberations on the DPWH’s proposed budget before the House Committee on Appropriations.

The proposals include reclassifying the Dupax del Norte–Dupax del Sur–Alfonso Castañeda Road as a tertiary national road and constructing an underpass or overpass at major congestion points in Bambang and Bayombong.

On pedestrian safety and traffic flow, Cayton pushed for an underpass or overpass near King’s College in Bambang and the Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center (R2TMC) in Bayombong; Dizon said his office will send a team to study the proposal.

Cayton also requested a feasibility study to reclassify the Dupax del Norte–Dupax del Sur–Alfonso Castañeda Road as a tertiary national road, noting that residents and local officials of Alfonso Castañeda must currently transit another province to reach the provincial capital. Dizon committed to dispatching a technical team to assess the reclassification request.

The congressman also questioned DPWH’s policy of replacing still-usable sections of the Maharlika Highway and urged the department to prioritize urgent needs such as farm-to-market roads. He also flagged heavy traffic in Sta. Fe and Diadi caused by overloaded trucks, proposing road widening, alternative routes or a bypass to ease congestion. The DPWH official told the committee that the Diadi road‑widening package is already up for award.

Cayton said the measures are intended to ensure safer, faster and more efficient travel not only for Vizcayanos but also for residents of neighboring provinces, stressing Nueva Vizcaya’s role as a gateway to the Cagayan Valley.