Quick-drying cement utilized for Marcos Highway repair

BAGUIO CITY – Quick-drying cement was used for the first time to expedite the repair and upgrade of Marcos Highway here on Wednesday night.

QUICK DRY. Cement treated to dry within 24 hours was used for the first time to repair Marcos Highway, the most accessed route to Baguio City. A government contractor tapped the technology to fast-track up the reblocking of the highway before the Christmas holiday rush. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong observed the process on Wednesday night. (Photo by Vincent Cabreza(

A 675-meter span of the highway, the most accessed route to the summer capital due to the temporary closure of Kennon Road, has been paved with the chemically-treated cement which will dry in 24 hours.

Alfred Bannagao Jr., of the Baguio District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said the first section of the P7.7 million road reblocking project would be open to traffic by November 11.

The treated cement should be cured by Friday (Nov. 8) but work crews will need to polish this portion of the road before proceeding to the next section, Bannagao said.

The project is scheduled to run from Nov. 4 to Dec. 21, in time for the surge of Christmas season tourists visiting Baguio City.

The Marcos Highway reblocking was scheduled to start in July but was delayed due to rains.

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña, a geodetic engineer, observed the initial cement pouring, saying they were interested in using the quick-drying cement for future projects.

He said 24-hour drying cement adds 30 percent to the road building cost but reduces time and opportunities lost to traffic gridlocks.

The mayor said this same system, used to repave roads in highly concentrated areas of Metro Manila, could be used when Naguilian Road is widened.

Naguilian is the third highway leading up to Baguio City.

Other officials in the Cordillera Administrative Region are likewise keen on the quick-drying cement to speed up road repairs following landslides along mountainous routes.  /gsg