Lingayen-Binmaley Baywalk not an open road line
THE Lingayen-Binmaley Baywalk, where light vehicles rushing to Lingayen normally pass to avoid the bumper-to-bumper traffic along the Binmaley-Lingayen highway, is still officially a baywalk where pedestrians and residents have priority use for leisure walking, jogging or zumba.
Bernard Caronongan, information officer of the 2nd Pangasinan Engineering District (PED) of the DPWH, made the clarification because of the noted increasing number of vehicles using the baywalk. “It is not yet classified as a national road, nor a provincial road, not even a municipal or barangay road,” he said.
He said the project, built phase by phase by different agencies, has not yet been turned over by the contractors of the 2nd PED and DPWH regional office. Hence, repairs for any scouring on the pavement will still be responsibility of the contractors unless it is formally turned over to the proper government agency.
Construction of the baywalk was first started by the then 2nd District Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, now the municipal mayor of Lingayen and was continued by the DPWH.
Provincial Legal Officer Geraldine Baniqued, along with Provincial Engineer Tonette de los Santos have volunteered to verify the status of the pavement with concerned agencies.
“DPWH should settle the issue because if it is a baywalk, the term itself suggests that it should not be traversed by motor vehicles,” Baniqued said.
She said although the provincial government has not been assigned jurisdiction, it already barred vehicles from traversing the baywalk behind the Urduja House and the Capitol Bldg., and installed solar lighting for the benefit of residents at night.
Caronongan, however, clarified further that in the absence of the proper designation on the agency that will be in charge of the Baywalk, it is the 2nd PED that is temporarily overseeing the baywalk .
According to Baniqued, the project was really intended as a baywalk, but there is also a possibility to make the project an alternate route to ease the traffic on the highway. (Leonardo Micua)
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