ROSARIO, La Union – Some members of the House committee on public works prefer that the toll plaza of the P27-billion Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) be stationed near the Marcos Highway and Kennon Road areas pursuant to its original design in order to realize its main purpose of significantly reducing travel time from the Metro Manila area to Baguio City, the country’s Summer Capital.

This was underscored by Baguio City Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, vice chairman of the House committee on public works, during an inspection in the various sites being proposed by Pangasinan officials where the toll plaza will be stationed which is a virtual revision of the original plan to base the entry and exit points of the TPLEx near major roads leading to the Cordillera and other parts of the Ilocos region.

Under the new proposal which will be considered as a revision to the original plan, the exit and entry points of TPLEx will now be located at least seven kilometers away from the junction of Marcos Highway and Kennon Road which would result to more travel time for the motorists just to reach their desired destination either in the Cordillera or Ilocos regions thereby deviating from the original proposal.

Vergara pointed out stationing the exit and entry points of the 84-kilometer expressway near major roads leading to the Cordillera and Ilocos regions will greatly help in the campaign of local governments in the areas to attract the influx of more foreign and domestic tourists who will contribute to the economic growth of the areas rather than relocating the same to areas who will only be beneficial to the personal business interests of some influential individuals in the Pangasinan and La Union areas.

Once officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will agree to the proposed revision of the programs of work and plans of the expressway, the exit and entry points of the TPLEx will be relocated near a cement factory which is owned by a relative of President Benigno S. Aquino III who also purchased vast tracks of agricultural lands near the proposed relocation site of the expressway’s toll plaza in preparation for alleged much bigger business opportunities.

However, Vergara argued the proposed relocation of the expressway’s toll plaza will no longer be for the general welfare but instead for personal and business interests of a few individuals who stand to benefit from the development of the new road network.

The construction of the TPLEx is now underway in the Tarlac and Pangasinan areas and that the same is expected to commence within the next two to three years depending on the ability of the government to settle road-right-of-way conflicts along the different areas to be traversed by the newest highway in the Northern Luzon area.

Vergara claimed Cordillera congressman will continue to oppose the move of Pangasinan-based politicians to relocate the site of the highway’s toll plaza, saying that such move is not intended to benefit the public which should be the main purpose of building state-of-the-art road networks leading to the countryside.