‘DPWH left more damage than storm’

Department of Public Works and Highways

Trips from Ilocos Norte to Cagayan have resumed after an alternate route in Bangui town, which was damaged by floodwaters when Tropical Storm “Dindo” (International Name: DOKSURI) crossed northern Luzon last week, was reopened to light vehicles and passenger buses.

The Buagao Bridge in Bangui, however, remains impassable and its repair is being rushed, said Nestor Pasion, officer-in-charge of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district office in Ilocos Norte.

Governor Imee Marcos said her province suffered more in the hands of the DPWH than the wrath of the storm, which dumped rains that caused landslides and flash floods in some areas in the province.

The Buagao Bridge has been under repair before the storm pounded the province, and motorists have been diverted to an alternate road. The bridge connects Ilocos Norte to Cagayan Valley.

But on June 28 to 29, dozens of vehicles piled up along the national road leading to the Buagao Bridge because the alternate road was washed away by rampaging floodwaters. The road was built on a river bed next to the bridge.

Pasion said the damaged alternate road was not entirely the fault of the department.

“The big volume of floodwaters that storm Dindo dumped softened the soil causing the temporary road to break down,” Pasion said.

He said the DPWH immediately undertook repairs on the alternate route and built new road panels so motorists could again use it.

“As of Saturday, we had already opened the road even to heavy vehicles. We just pray that no storm will come in with as much rainwater like storm Dindo,” he said.

Pasion said motorists may experience inconvenience in passing through the narrow alternate road.

He said the DPWH expected the bridge repair to be completed by September.

“To me, this is a public works disaster, not a natural disaster. This was not typhoon Dindo’s fault. This was the fault of typhoon DPWH,” Marcos said.

The alternate road was only provided a P300,000 budget that was taken from the total repair fund of P30 million, which may not have been sufficient to build a sturdier and more efficient route, she said.

“The need to repair the road is urgent. We are ready to deploy all available equipment of the provincial government to fix the bridge and the alternate road,” Marcos said.