Trivia About Kennon Road

The famous Benguet Road, better known far and wide as Kennon Road, is one of the best mountain roads in the world. Named after Major Lyman M. Kennon, the ultimate builder of the road, it stands as a tribute to Major Kennon's engineering skill and knowledge and excellent understanding of human nature.

The construction of the historic road was difficult and dangerous. Diseases and even cholera attacked the workers. Some of the nationalities who contributed to the labor force in the construction of the highway were Filipinos, Spaniards, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiians, Portuguese, Mexicans, Italians, French, English, Canadians. Germans, Americans, etc. The largest contingent of foreign workers recruited to construct the Kennon Road in 1903 were the Japanese. Based on the 1903 census, there were 921 Japanese migrants. Of these, there were 800 Japanese workers from Okinawa Prefecture. They were among the more than 20 nationalities of workers who worked in the Kennon Road Project under the supervision of Colonel Lyman Kennon. Of the original 800 workers, only about 300 survived when the road was completed in 1907. The rest fell victims to accidents and diseases.

During the earthquake in 1990, Kennon Road was severely damaged and has continuously been undergoing repairs. It usually takes an experienced commuter an average of 45 minutes by car to negotiate the steep and winding climb up to Baguio. There is a need to be extra cautious when driving through Kennon Road since you will encounter sharp hairpin turns and blind curves. The road is very slippery when it rains and usually there are landslides which could block the roadway. There are no guardrails on some portion of the road and most of these guardrails are not strong enough to stop a wayward vehicle from falling into a deep ravine just beside it. On certain months of the year the late afternoon fog causes poor and limited visibility along the roadway.

Source: Philippine Trivia.com