Motorists have been advised to take alternative routes as 33 roads, mostly in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), are still not passable after being damaged by Typhoon “Ompong,” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Wednesday.
“Thirty three road sections are closed to all types of vehicles: 24 in CAR, two in Region I, and four in Region III, due to rock debris, slides, fallen trees, mudflow, rock and soil collapse, washed-out road, road cut, damaged slope protection and electric post, road slip, eroded bridge approach, fallen trees and flooding,” the DPWH said in its 6:00 a.m. update.
DPWH said that those going in and out of Baguio should avoid Kennon Road, which remains closed to traffic, and use Marcos Highway instead.
Other roads with closed sections include the Abra-Ilocos Norte Road, Kabugao-Pudtol Luna-Cagayan Boundary Road, Apayao-Ilocos Norte, Mt. Province Boundary-Calanan-Pinukpuk-Abbut Road, and Kalinga-Abra Road.
In Pampanga, the Sto. Tomas-Minalin Road, Baliwag-Candaba-Sta. Ana Road, Candaba-San Miguel, San Simon-Baliuag Road were closed to all vehicles because of flooding, as waters from typhoon-drenched provinces up North went down to Central Luzon.
In other parts of CAR, only one lane is passable in segments of the Benguet-Nueva Viscaya Road, Baguio Bontoc Road, Abra-Kalinga Road, Kabugao Road, Claveria-Calanasan Road, Apayao-Ilocos Norte, Asin-Naguilian Road, Acop-Kapangan, Kibukan-Bakun Road, Abatan-Mankayan-Cervantes Road, and Kiangan-Tinoc-Bugias Road.
Ompong, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, made landfall in Baggao, Cagayan, on Saturday morning, Sept. 15, 2018, and barreled through provinces of Regions I, II, and CAR.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported the death toll at 74, while 55 were reported still missing. Damage to crops have been estimated at P14 billion, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. /cbb
READ: PNP data shows 74 dead, 55 missing due to ‘Ompong’
READ: ‘Ompong’ ravaged P14B in crops