Several roads in Northern Luzon, which were blocked by boulders and soil due to landslides triggered by magnitude 7.0 magnitude quake, have already been cleared and are now passable, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Thursday, July 28.
Quoting the recent assessment, DPWH Sec. Manuel M. Bonoan said partial cost of damage to national roads is recorded at P59.23 Million.
Bonoan, who immediately ordered the deployment of road-clearing teams in the affected areas, said the department’s personnel and local teams have joined forces to immediately clear the roads right after the earthquake on Wednesday, July 27.
In Abra, those which were already cleared were the Abra-Kalinga Road, the Abra-Ilocos Norte Road and Abra-Cervantes Road.
In Benguet, the Asin Road in Baguio City, the Marcos Highway, the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road, the Benguet-Bauang Road and Congressman Andres Acop Cosalan Road were also cleared along with the Mt. Province-Calanan-Pinukpuk-Abbut Road and the Kalinga-Abra Road, according to Bonoan.
He said the Mt. Province-Cagayan via Tabuk - Enrile Road and the Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur Road in Mt. Province were also cleared, together with the Santa Rancho Road (Calungbuyan Bridge) in Ilocos Sur.
Bonoan said that as of Thursday, July 27, the DPWH Quick Response Teams are still clearing a total of eight oads in CAR and Region 1 which include:
1) Kennon Road, Benguet (for safety purposes);
2) Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road K0285+600 section in Tab-ao, Kapangan, Benguet (due to rockfall);
3) Banaue-Hungduan-Benguet Boundary Road K0355+600 section in Ap-apid, Tinoc, Ifugao (due to rock collapse);
4) Lubuagan-Batong Buhay Road K0462+010, K0463+000, K0463+400, K0463+700, K0464+000 sections in Puapo, Dangtalan, Pasil, Kalinga and K0464+600,K0464+700, K0464+800 sections in Colong, Lower Uma, Lubuagan, Kalinga (due to rock collapse);
5) Baguio - Bontoc Road, Mt. Data Cliff, Bauko, Mt. Province (due to soil collapse);
6) Tagudin - Cervantes Road, K0341+600 in Ilocos Sur (due to landslide and rockslide);
7) Jct. Santiago-Banayoyo-Lidlidda-San Emilio-Quirino Road K0393+000 Brgy. Cayos, Quirino, and K0391+200, Ilocos Sur (due to landslide and rockslide); and
8) Cervantes-Aluling-Bontoc Road K0387+(-950), Brgy. Aluling, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur (due to landslide and rockslide).
“The Itogon Bridge along Tagudin - Cervantes Road K0267+519 section in Benguet is still limited to light vehicles for safety reasons,” said Bonoan.