At least 27 main roads in eight typhoon-stricken regions in the country are still impassable as of Wednesday morning, Nov. 2, as a result of the onslaught of typhoon “Paeng”, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.
Based on its monitoring, the DPWH said seven of the impassable roads are in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), five in Region II, one in Region III, two in Region IV-A, five in Region VI, one in Region VIII; three in Region XII, and three in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the road sections shut down due to road cuts, soil collapse, road slip, rock collapse, damaged slope protection, landslide, high water elevation/flooding, damaged/scoured bridge approach, collapsed bridge and approach, cracks between bridge abutment and approach, depression, bridge settlement, settlement of pier, scoured bridge abutment, scoured embankment, and soil erosion.
Aside from roads that are were totally shut down, nine road sections have limited access in open-punch-through situations, including one road section apiece in Region I, II, III, VIII, and Region IX; three in Region VI; and two in the BARMM region.
The DPWH implemented a one-way system of traffic flowing due to high water elevation/flooding, collapsed road slope protection, road slip, and damage/scouring on bridge approaches.
Bonoan, however, assured the public that they were expediting the clearing and rehabilitation works in all typhoon-stricken infrastructure.
In CAR, the landslide-prone zone of Kennon Road is still closed to any type of vehicle due to high-risk rock-falling, landslides, and slippery conditions of the roads.
National roads leading to Baguio City are still closed, including five roads in Apayao; one main road in Benguet; and three in Kalinga.
Other previously reported road closures in CAR have been punch-through open or are now one-way/two-way passable.
“However, the close-open situation within our national roads may still be experienced. Please bear with us since the total clearing operations may still be ongoing or will resume/commence when the conditions are favorable or when equipment is available,” DPWH-CAR said in its Road Advisory.
DPWH also advised travelers to take extra caution when passing through the region if travel in the areas is inevitable.