Scenic highland road in Santol Town, La Union ongoing

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is building a 10-kilometer upland road that is now attracting sightseers who wish to have a glimpse of picturesque mountain landscapes from the highland barangays of Santol, La Union Province.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, based on a report from DPWH Region 1 Director Ronnel M. Tan, said that the ongoing road project which has so far received an allocation of P490 million since 2018 is primarily aimed to improve existing narrow road into a 2-lane concrete road in Barangays Poblacion, Puguil, and Tubaday.

According to Secretary Villar, comparing to the old road which has only 2.5 meters of roadway width and steep slopes with road cuts, the new road will have 6.7 meters of roadway width and less slope, reducing the 5-hour hiking to only 15-minute drive.

“More livelihood opportunities await locals as wider road will not just improve delivery of goods and services but also lift the tourism industry in the area as the road leads to Simminublan Falls - one of Santol Town’s place of interest,” said Secretary Villar.

“Once the road is complete, the road could also be one of the most scenic driving routes in Ilocos Region,” added Secretary Villar. (DPWH)