DPWH Secretary Mark Villar. (File photo)
MANILA -- Clearing operations in roads damaged by Typhoon "Tisoy" (Kammuri) continue as damage to infrastructure has exceeded PHP2 billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday.
“As per initial reports submitted by DPWH Regional Offices, partial cost of damage to roads, bridges, flood control, other public buildings is at PHP2.727-billion,” the agency said in a statement.
The department reported that clearing operations are being done on the nine remaining national roads in three regions that were impassable to all types of vehicles following the onslaught of the storm last week.
According to the monitoring report of the DPWH Bureau of Maintenance to Secretary Mark Villar, the clearing operations are being conducted in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley and Bicol.
Manpower and equipment are currently mobilized in CAR to clear six road sections rendered impassable due to road slip, soil slides, soil collapse, and bridge collapse in the municipalities of Balbalan and Tanudan in Kalinga; Tinoc, Ifugao; and Calanasan, Apayao.
In Region 2, a portion of Manila North Road along Santa Praxedes, Cagayan, the Sanchez Mira Bridge, and the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Overflow Bridge in Isabela are closed to all types of vehicles due to washed out middle pier, scoured embankment protection, series of landslide, and mudflow and high-water level.
At the same time, the DPWH advised motorists going to Sanchez Mira, Cagayan to take the Sanchez Mira Bypass Road while motorists traveling to Isabela may use Daang Maharlika via Tuguegarao City as an alternate route.
DPWH Region 5 is also doubling efforts to construct a temporary detour road for motorists passing through the damaged La Medalla Bridge in the municipality of Pio Duran, Albay to facilitate faster disaster response to affected areas. (PNA)
