‘Ruby’ damages roads in Bicol and Eastern Visayas

By: Jerry E. Esplanada, Tetch Torres-Tupas - 10 years ago

Motorists pass by fallen electrical posts as strong winds brought by Typhoon “Ruby” hit Camalig town, Albay province. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Sections of at least 15 national roads in Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions have been closed to traffic while parts of 10 other thoroughfares were “hardly passable,” especially to light vehicles, due to floods and landslides, as well as trees and electric posts brought down by Typhoon “Ruby.”

This was reported Monday by the Safety and Disaster Management Coordination Division (SDMCD) of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Bureau of Maintenance, which said “road clearing operations are ongoing.”

“Warning signs are already installed on the affected road sections,” the SDMCD said in a press statement.

According to the DPWH, sections of the following roads were closed to traffic:

Cataingan-Placer Road, Junction Crossing Mandaon Road and Pinamangkaan Spillway, all in Masbate;
Junction Taft-Oras-San Policarpio-Arteche Road, Tacloban-Basay-Marabut-Borongan and Borongan-Guiuan Road, all in Eastern Samar;
San Miguel-Santol Road and Dulag-Maharlika Highway, both in Leyte;
Merida-Luntag-Puting Bato-Consolacion-Isabel Road, Catarman-Calbayog Road, K751 to K753, Somoge-Catarman Road and K772 to K774, all in Northern Samar;
Calbayog-Catarman Road in Samar, and
Maharlika Highway in Biliran.

Sections of the following roads were hardly passable:

San Miguel-Viga Road, Junction Panganiban-Sabloyon and K69-K70 in Bagamanoc and K140-Bocon Spillway, all in Catanduanes;
Bagahupi-Babatngon Road and TigbaoPulak-Sta. Fe Road, Binahaan Spillway-K951, Palompon-Isabel-Merida-Ormoc Road and Libugao-Matag-ob-Palompon Road, all in Leyte; and
Maharlika Highway-K871in Southern Leyte.