Just a little heads up for our fellow motorists who plans on traveling north for the holidays: at all costs, avoid Urdaneta City!
At present, there are road diggings in three different sections of the highway. First, before you enter the city proper, in front of the Mitsubishi dealership, the northbound lane is currently being dug up in preparation for the laying of concrete over it. You can't go faster than maybe 10 kph in this stretch because of the bumpy ride. The 2 shoutbound lanes have already been cemented, but only one lane is passable, and there are still gaps in-between the cemented portions as well as lots of debris from the construction work.
Secondly, there is canal excavation work being done near the area where the Jolibee and KFC restaurants are, so the highway becomes narrower at this area. A new mall is also being build there which adds to the traffic.
Lastly, there is a big, big hole right in the middle of the main intersection, as seen below:
This is a major headache for folks heading up to Baguio or turning right to Dagupan. Furthermore, the traffic extends up to the bridge after the intersection, which is presenty being widened as well.
I highly doubt if the contractor can finish these projects before the Christmas exodus starts this weekend, so if you want to keep your jolly spirit intact, don't pass by Urdaneta City. But if you really must, do so during an off-peak hour like late at night or early in the morning.





thanks again

