TACLOBAN CITY – Access is still limited to five sections of national roads in Leyte province a week after the onslaught of Tropical Depression Agaton, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Tuesday.
In Mahaplag, Leyte, the Hilusig Bridge is only passable to cars after its approach was damaged by flooding on April 11.
The bridge forms part of the highway that connects Luzon and Mindanao.
“In an effort to open the highway along Mahaplag, Leyte, the DPWH built a temporary steel bridge approach to make the bridge passable to motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles only,” the DPWH said in its latest report.
In Baybay City, of the four road sections damaged by the weather disturbance, two are only passable to light vehicles as of Tuesday.
These roads are in Villa Solidaridad and Mailhi villages near the communities hit by massive landslides. Also in Mailhi village, only one lane of another road section is passable.
In Makinhas village, also in Baybay, half of the road is still closed due to damages caused by massive soil erosion.
After the tropical depression, the DPWH deployed quick response teams in the region to conduct clearing operations along “areas that are deemed safe.”
“Clearing activities in Baybay City has not stopped even during Holy Week. Crew from different engineering districts in the region continue to assist in clearing of debris,” the DPWH said in its report.
The DPWH in Eastern Visayas has yet to come up with the cost of damages to infrastructure along national highways due to flooding and landslide. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency
