The nationwide road-widening project, which began in earnest in 2013 continues,

and the physical motoring landscape is indeed changing. It isn’t only us car guys who
miss the nostalgia and romance of driving along tree-lined highways. Various
historical preservation groups have mounted their own online petitions
to preserve sections of old highways that are not only lined with century-old trees,
but which are also of historical significance. Concerned environmental and historical
groups in Bataan, Ilocos, Cebu, Pampanga, have all been very vocal in their
opposition to the road-widening plans. Solutions have been offered, which mostly
include not flattening everything in sight.

But there seem to be more dangers brought about by the widening of our national highways.
Typhoon Domeng brought heavy monsoon rains to the mountains of the Cordillera for a whole
week, inundating the soil, loosening the hold of the hardwood’s roots, causing trees to collapse.
Typical Baguio-City-rainy-season story. But there’s more to consider.

Landslides are a more frequent occurrence on Kennon Road as well, and the sedan-size
boulders falling from the sky seem to be more commonplace. We are sure you have seen these
photographs shared on your Facebook feed. The stories of how these motorists survived such
unlucky circumstances will renew your faith in a higher being.
The effects of road widening also spill into the cities as well. Case in point is in our hometown
of Baguio City, where the constant influx of guests eager to experience the cool, upland
weather. Tourism is booming thanks to the lengthening of the TPLEX, and this can be viewed as
a good thing. Local businesses are earning, and a new crop of entrepreneurs is born every day in
Baguio. Hotels, restaurants, lifestyle hubs, and entertainment centers are mushrooming all over
the place, contributing to the total local revenue. The apparent signs of progress are evident. But
with more visitors come more vehicles and standstill traffic jams—a phenomenon once unheard
of in the City of Pines. The solution? Widen roads and add lanes to ease traffic congestion.

The intention to push for road-widening projects to help improve local infrastructure and
contribute to the continued growth of the city is good, but when done haphazardly, can be
dangerous. Road widening causes the ground to shift, making the soil unstable and prone to
landslide. Roadside trees whose roots hold soil together are also felled during road widening
operations, compromising the stability of the earth underneath the pavement. And that new layer
of concrete or asphalt will make it impossible for the ground to effectively absorb any moisture
or rainfall, resulting in fast-flowing water which can cause floods and increase the incidence
of soil erosion.
And as for claims that it is a practical solution for addressing traffic congestion, road widening is
just as effective as trying to collect sand in a wide-gauge sieve. That extra lane is supposed to
create more space, right? Faulty logic. There will naturally be more cars on the road compared to
when the road wasn’t widened because of that extra lane. Motorists will be encouraged to take
out their rides, increasing the total number of cars on the road, resulting in more traffic
congestion. Businesses will also be drawn to these areas of transport, bringing even more
traffic with them. This is called “induced demand,” and is a principle that always seems to get
overlooked when the decision to widen roads is made.

And let’s not forget all the ignorant constituents who use newly widened sections as
their personal parking spaces. Or that, for some reason, all these road widening efforts take
place during the rainy season when the weather will, undoubtedly, make each project harder to
complete.
Road widening doesn’t solve traffic congestion, and it can also lead to potentially life-
threatening situations. Yet officials still push forward with them in the name of progress. But
maybe an SUV-sized rock crushing an official’s ride (no casualties, of course) will get the
message through.

In the meantime, all we have are photographs of the old highways and roads that we once knew,
with trees that have borne witness to history. We can only hope that these widened roads
become lined with trees once again.
https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/goodbye-old-roads-a00040-a114-20180625
ORANI, Bataan -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has targeted the
completion by 2020 of the widening of the portion of the Roman Expressway in Bataan's first district.

District Engineer Erlindo Flores said Monday that to be widened from four lanes to six lanes with
road shoulders are 18.5 km. of the highway covering the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, and
Abucay, all in the first district.

Flores said while there were already portions finished, a budget of PHP300 million to PHP400 million
is still needed to complete the project.

Roman Expressway has a total length of 56.5 km., 38 km. under the second district traversing
through Balanga City to the towns of Pilar, Orion, Limay, and Mariveles.

The second engineering district has not begun the road-widening project.

Regularly passing through the expressway are all types of vehicles, including oil and liquefied
petroleum gas tankers and other cargo trucks, carrying materials from fuel depot and factories at the
Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles.

A study showed that widening the whole Roman Expressway into a six-lane highway needs a budget
of PHP2.2 billion but Flores said the amount would increase with the many improvements proposed
by Governor Albert Garcia.

Meanwhile, JM Garcia of the provincial office of the Philippine Information Agency in Balanga City
reported that 4,700 full-grown trees along the expressway will be uprooted and transferred to sites in
Abucay town.

Flores said trees with a diameter of 0.60 meters and below are undergoing earth-balling for transfer
to re-planting sites.

He said studies showed a survival rate of 70 percent for earth-balled trees. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1025697