Truck too heavy for Roxas Boulevard service road, cops say

The 14-wheeler that fell into a hole on Roxas Boulevard was too heavy for the service road of the main highway in Manila

"Ang service road po as per Engineer Mike Macud, naano lang po 'yan, ang capable lang po niyan hanggang 20 tons," Manila Traffic Bureau chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro Pelias said.

"Ito pong truck natin na nalubog contain po ito ng 42 tons po," he added in Rida Reyes' report on "Balitanghali."

The incident happened around 2 a.m. on Sunday at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and Remedios Street.

Driver Michael Layco has said they were supposed to pass through the main highway traffic enforcers directed them to take the service road to give way for the Manilamarathon 2019 event.

As he turned at the corner of Remedios Street, the concrete slab covering a huge drainage canal collapsed, leaving the truck half-buried in the hole.

Bong Nebrija, chief of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) EDSA Traffic and Transport Zone, said authorities would check there was a need to close the area to avoid danger to motorists.

"Kailangang i-limit namin 'yung load ng dadaan diyan, kung pupuwede ang light vehicles why not? Pero if it will pose danger to all kinds of danger, mapipilitan po kaming isara until such time na marepair po 'yung crack na 'yun," Nebrija said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said it was looking into the incident. —Anna Felicia Bajo/NB, GMA News