Several national road sections in northern Luzon are impassable to traffic either due to landslides or flooding amid the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Saturday.
At a press briefing, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said at least 19 road sections in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are closed, which include two major roads going to and from Baguio City — Kennon Road and Marcos Highway’s Tuba Section.
“Kaya ‘yung mga papunta at pababa kailangan gamitin niyo po ang Naguilian Road. Naguilian lang po ang open papuntang Baguio po,” Villar said.
Other roads with closed sections in Cordillera are:
- Benguet-Vizcaya Road
- Baguio-Bontoc Road
- Abra-Ilocos Norte Road
- Abra-Ilocos Sur Road
- Claveria-Calanasan Road
- Pico-Lamtang Road
- Acop-Kapangan Road
- Acop Cosalan Road
- Banaue Hungduan-Benguet Road
- Bulo National Road
- Mt. Province Boundary-Kalanan Road
- Kalinga-Abra Road
- Mt. Province-Nueva Vizcaya Road
- Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur
- Junction Talubin-Barlig-Natonin Road
“Ongoing ang clearing operations meron na kaming prepositioned na heavy equipment, and we can expect maki-lclear po ang ibang roads within the day,” Villar said.
“Nagkaroon lang po ng landslide kaya medyo mag-ingat ang mga taga-CAR habang ongoing pa ang bagyo, ” he said.
In Region 1, all roads are passable except the Tagudin-Cervantes Road as the clearing operations are still ongoing, the DPWH chief said.
In Region 2, four sections of Daang Maharlika are now open to traffic as well as the Bambang-Nueva Vizcaya Road.
Meanwhile, the Dalton Pass, which was closed due to a landslide, has one lane open and “the second lane will be opened shortly.”
“Santiago-Tuguegarao Road is now passable, clearing operations have been completed. Ang Itawes-Overflow Bridge in Cagayan is still not passable due to flooding,” Villar said.
In Region 3, six road sections are still closed:
- Bigaap-Plaridel via Malolos Road
- Daang Maharlika Road’s two sections
- Patabangan-Canili-Basal (one lane is passable)
- Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road
- Romulo Highway
- Paniki-Camiling-Wawa Road
- Olongapo-Bugalion Road
“All sections have ongoing clearing and you can expect marami sa mga closed will be passable within the day,” Villar said. — MDM, GMA News