‘Nina’ damage to roads, bridges estimated at more than PHP216-M
MANILA, Dec. 30 (PNA) — Typhoon Nina has inflicted at least PHP216 million worth of damage on roads, bridges and flood control structures, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported Friday.
“The partial cost of damage as per initial reports submitted by concerned DPWH offices, subject for further assessment/validation, is at PHP216.07 million with 43 road sections, two bridges and 13 flood control structures affected,” the department said in a statement.
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar noted that as of 6 p.m. on Thursday, all national roads and bridges affected by the typhoon have been cleared.
He added that they have established a priority category of damages. Priority 1 involves the immediate rehabilitation of collapsed bridges, cut road sections, and breached seawalls and dikes to quickly restore mobility and ensure safety of the affected areas.
Priority 2 involves ordinary repair works, such as patching potholes, resurfacing of washed-out roads and slightly destroyed flood control structures, while Priority 3 involves minor repair work or improvement to prevent further deterioration, such as repair of road sections.
The DPWH chief said that dump trucks, payloaders, graders and other road-clearing equipment and personnel were deployed to clear the more than one meter of silt and debris at the Bantayan Bridge 1 along the Ligao-Tabaco Road and fallen trees and slides at the Legazpi-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco-Tiwi-Camarines Sur Road, both in Albay province. The two roads are now passable to vehicular traffic.
“At the first advisory of PAGASA that Typhoon Nina has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the regional and district engineering offices already activated the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Team or the Incident Command System (ICS),” he said.
“Prior to the landfall, as early as Dec. 21, we have already pre-positioned all available or operational equipment with operator, including designated inspectors to landslide-prone areas.”
The department has also conducted round-the-clock clearing operations on national roads, highways and bridges affected by ‘Nina’ since December 25. (PNA)
