DPWH: 4 roads, 9 bridges in Bohol impassable

Residents walk along a damaged road in Bohol. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — At least four main roads and nine bridges were damaged by the magnitude-7.2 earthquake that hit Bohol Tuesday morning, according to a survey by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“DPWH Region 7 Director Ador Canlas identified the impassable road sections in the Province of Bohol either due to massive landslide and damaged roadway such as cracks, settlement of asphalt/concrete pavement, and road slips,” DPWH head office said in a statement Wednesday.

The impassable roads are:
1) Cortes-Balilihan-Catigbian-Macaas Road;
2) Tagbilaran East Road Laya Baclayon;
3) Tagbilaran North Road (Km 89.869-Km 89.950);
4) Loay Interior Road Loboc Section.

Nine bridges were also severely damaged by the quake that occurred some 30 kilometers below the surface of Carmen, Bohol. DPWH identified the bridges as the following:

1) Abatan Bridge along Tagbilaran North Road, bridge collapsed;

2) Camayaan Bridge along Tagbilaran North Road in Cortes, bridge approach damaged;

3) Tultogan Bridge along Tagbilaran North Road in Calape, bridge approach collapsed;

4) Tagbuane Bridge along Tagbilaran East Road in Albur,  bridge collapsed;

5) Moalong Bridge along Tagbilaran North Road, bridge collapsed;

6) Hunan Bridge along Tagbilaran North Road, settlement of bridge approach;

7) Taguimtim, Damiao and Daet Bridges along Tagbilaran North Road in Buenavista, settlement of bridge approach;

8) Palo, Hinawanan, Bonkokan, Banban, and Panangatan  Bridges along Tagbilaran East Road, bridge approaches with cracks/settlement;

9) Agape Bridge along Loay Interior Road, bridge approaches with cracks.

The DPWH also said that the Panangatan River Control, a flood control structure along Tagbilaran East Road, was totally damaged.

Two bridges managed to survive the quake and are still passable despite some damage. These are:

1) Suarez Bridge along Dauis Panglao Road
2) Salog Bridge along Tagbilaran North Road

At least 110 people were reportedly killed by the quake with hundreds more injured, according to the latest figures from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as of Wednesday noon.

Several historic and centuries-old churches were leveled by the quake while many government buildings and structures were severely damaged.