Villar: roads, bridges damaged by ‘Vinta’ passable before end-January
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar on Saturday assured that all roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm “Vinta” (international name: Tembin) would be passable before the end of January next year.
In a statement, Villar said that President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the swift repair of the infrastructure damaged by Vinta which hit Mindanao.
An inspection by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) showed that the structures which sustained the heaviest damage were the Dalama Bridge, Daligdigan Bridge and Pinuyak Bridge.
‘24/7 construction’
“I’ve inspected each of the affected bridges and we’re implementing a 24/7 construction schedule to ensure that the deadline set by the President is met,” Villar said.
The Dalama Bridge is a 27.60-meter bridge located in Munai, Lanao del Norte, while the Pinuyak Bridge is a 49-meter bridge in Lala, Lanao del Norte. The Daligdigan Bridge is a 49-meter bridge in Salvador, Lanao del Norte.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that damage to infrastructure because of Vinta had reached P242,695,110 as of Dec. 30.
These include three road sections and eight bridges in Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao and the Caraga region which are still not passable.
Villar said the approach of the Dalama bridge was damaged from the tropical storm.
“Actual damage cost is about P40 million. In the long-term, we’re looking at constructing a revetment in the area,” Villar said.
Permanent bridge
Meanwhile, the DPWH is exploring the possibility of replacing the Pinuyak Bridge with a permanent bridge with revetment and approaches at the upstream and downstream.
Villar said they had set a seven-day time table for Dalama Bridge and a 15-day timetable for the repair of Daligdigan Bridge.
“Before January ends, all damaged bridges will be passable,” he said.
