Dangerous Roads

Halsema Highway is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the world. Everyday, commuters, transporters, tourists, and residents coming from Baguio or Mt. Province ply this route, braving steep crags, narrow, unpaved roads and sheer drop offs, some more than 1000 feet, without a safety guard rail.

Known as the “main artery” of the Cordillera’s road system, the 150-mile Halsema Highway links Baguio and Benguet province to the rest of Northern Luzon. The road Was opened in 1930 as led by Engineer Euseibus Julius Halsema of whom this highway was named after. He was also Baguio city's mayor during that time.

The beginning of the highway starts off slightly paved and quickly turns to dirt. It is approximately 150 miles long and takes about 10 hours to get from Baguio city to Sagada on a nice day due to sharp bends & bumpy roads. It is known for rock slides, mud slides and buses driving dangerously fast on its narrow passage. It also goes through some of the more remote provinces in The Philippines. There are many accidents and overturned buses on a yearly basis. Often there are sheer drop offs of over 1000 feet without a guard rail. During the rainy season it is nearly impassable Landslides and rock falls are common, often stranding motorists for long periods of time. Many portions of the road are still unpaved, although work is supposedly in progress to bring about some improvements, and there are plenty of drop-offs that are steep enough to kill you. Foggy conditions paired with the lack of much-needed guardrails in certain areas only complicate the Halsema Highway’s already dangerous conditions. Local accounts also indicate that buses traversing this route are less than considerate when it comes to road rules, so watch your step. Tracing a circuitous path, this road crosses the massive Cordillera Central mountain range on the Island of Luzon, and many sections remain unpaved.

The road runs through steep cliff faces which barely have any guard rails or other safety devices installed. The narrow roads and steep cliff faces make the road almost impassable during the rainy season. There are plenty of accidents and many overturned buses on a yearly basis. There are sheer drop offs of more than 1000 feet without a safety guard rail. This route is for sure one of the most dangerous roads in the world.

Halsema highway is also considered as the highest highway in the country with its highest point somewhere in Atok. The highest point is about 2,255meters above see level. That makes it higher than Mount Banahaw's peak.
The road is as much a wonder as any of the official world heritage sites in the Philippines, and equally worth experiencing. Zigzags up and over the Cordillera range without any of the benefits, or restrictions, of civic planning. There are many stretches of single-track road, where two vehicles cannot pass without one having to reverse back to the nearest farmyard, and the edge of the roadway is often barely a foot outside the bus’s tyres, with rarely any wall or fence between the road and the precipice. It was probably only ever intended for small numbers of utility vehicles. Fortunately, there is still little traffic, consisting mainly of occasional private cars and motor-cycles, and the few intrepid buses, which know every twist and turn in the road, and can spot trouble several valleys away. In many places the road is little better than a farm track, with the edges worn away by rain, even in the dry season. Don’t even think about a journey by this road if you are of a nervous disposition, or don’t have a good head for heights. If you enjoy excitement, don’t miss it.