MANILA – A total of 20 road sections across the country remain impassable due to flooding brought by Tropical Storm (TS) Kristine, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported Wednesday.
The consolidated report by the DPWH Bureau of Maintenance (BOM) as of 6 a.m. said the figure includes 15 road sections in Bicol, four in Eastern Visayas and one in Calabarzon.
The closures are attributed to various causes, including collapsed detour roads, flooding, landslides, fallen trees, and rockslides.
Heavy rains and strong winds brought by Kristine have hampered the ongoing clearing operations along the Sibuyan Circumferential Road in Romblon Province where soil collapse and fallen trees have rendered sections K0005+250-K0005+300 in Barangay Cambijang, Cajidiocan and K0057+650-K0057+660 in Barangay Poblacion, Magdiwang impassable.
In the Bicol region, the following road sections in Albay province remain closed due to flooding and soil erosion: DM Jct-Legazpi-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco-Tiwi-Camarines Sur Boundary Road, Nagas Br. 1, K0565+702 – a detour road collapsed due to ongoing bridge work; Albay West Coast Road, Libon – several sections are flooded and soil collapse has occurred; Ligao – Pio Duran Road (S03661LZ) K0520+0250 to 0520+0300, Barangay Malama and K0503+0800 to K0504+0200 Barangay Cavasi and Barangay Tinampo, City of Ligao – flooded; Oas Poblacion Road K0496+(-200)-K0496+0100 and K0497+0000 – K0497+0350 Barangay Ilaor Norte, Oas – flooded; and Libon-Bacolod-San Vicente-Marocmoc Buga Rd (S03691LZ) K0498+0450 to K0498+0600 Barangay Bonbon and K0489+0700 to K0490+0000 Barangay San Isidro, Libon.
In Camarines Norte, flood-affected roads include Talobatib-Jose Panganiban-Poblacion Road – in various barangays; Sta. Elena – Capalonga Bypass Road, K0268+300, Barangay San Lorenzo, Sta. Elena; Bagong Silang-Capalonga Road, K0325+600-K0325+650, Barangay Mataque and K0317+000, Barangay Old Camp in Capalonga; and Maharlika Highway K0329+802, Bical Bridge, Barangay Iberica, K0322+200, Sitio Mineral, Barangay Talobatib, K0281+000, Barangay Tigbinan, and K0307+900 – K0308+150, Barangay Namukanan in Labo.
Additionally, roads in Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon are experiencing similar conditions, with sections affected by both flooding and rockslides.
These include: Pili-Tigaon-Albay Boundary Road, K0479+000-K0480+000, intermittent sections, Camarines Sur – experiencing both flooding and rockslides; Lagonoy-Presentacion Road, Kinahulugan Section, Bagong Sirang Section, & Adiangao Section) K0488+800 RL, Camarines Sur – flooded; San Fernando North Road, K0015+700, Barangay Sta. Rosa, San Fernando, Masbate – flooded; San Pascual-Claveria Road, K0054+470, Poblacion 1, Claveria, Masbate – flooded; and Juban-Magallanes Road, K0609+600-K0609+725, Sorsogon – flooded.
In Eastern Visayas, road closures include: Catarman-Calbayog Road, S00004SM), K0776+000, Poblacion Lope De Vega, Northern Samar – flooded; alternate route available via Maharlika Highway through Allen-Catarman Road; Catarman-Laoang Road (S00175SM) K0757+900 – K0758+300 Barangay Chitongco and K0762+000 – K0763+050 Sitio Banika Barangay Bugko, Mondragon, Northern Samar – flooded, with water levels reaching 0.91 meters; Calbayog-Catarman Road, K0787+300 – K0789+500 Barangay Tarabucan, Calbayog City, Samar – flooded, water levels at 0.60 meters; and Pangpang-Palapag-Mapanas-Gamay-Lapinig Road, K0810+500, Barangay Maragano, Palapag, Northern Samar – blocked by debris flow.
The San Francisco – San Andres – San Narciso Road at K0314+490 in Quezon province and Masbate-Milagros Rd, K0010+000, Barangay Usab, Masbate City, Masbate are passable to heavy vehicles only due to flooding.
Other roads in Camarines Sur remain passable but are limited to heavy vehicles due to flooding: Tigaon-Lagonoy Section, K0480+000 – K0488+000, intermittent sections; Tct. Teres – Garchitorena K0545+200; Tinambac – Siruma Road, K0522+050; and Goa-Digdigon-SanIsidro Road, K0488+(-600).
The DPWH Quick Response Assets from affected Regional and District Engineering Offices are prepositioned for the clearing operation.
At the same time, Disaster Incident Management Teams continuously monitor conditions along other national roads and bridges.
As of 8 a.m., the tropical storm was traced 310 km east northeast of Infanta, Quezon, packing maximum sustained winds of up to 85 km per hour and gusts of up to 105 kph. (PNA)