DPWH eyes completing Andaya Highway road repairs before 2025

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 5 is aiming to finish the road repair along Andaya Highway in Lupi, Camarines Sur before the New Year arrives, the regional office said Thursday.

DPWH Region 5 director Virgilio Eduarte said three portions of the highway have been repaired so far while one section was still in the works.

"Iyong status po ngayon as of today, 12 noon, ongoing pa rin po iyong tinatapos iyong side po doon sa Andaya Highway. Pero iyong tatlong side po, na maigsi lang po iyon, ay natapos na po iyon," Eduarte said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon news forum.

(As of 12 noon today, the repairs on one section in Andaya Highway were still being done. But the repairs on three sections, which are just short, were already completed.)

"So, isa na lang po iyong one-way traffic natin diyan sa Lupi. May kahabaan kasi itong ginagawa diyan pero pinipilit po naming matapos bago mag-Bagong Taon," he added.

(So we only have one-way traffic in Lupi. It's a long stretch but we are aiming to finish everything before the New Year.)

Bicol-bound travelers were stuck in traffic days before Christmas as lanes were reduced to give way for road reblocking following the effects of recent typhoons. However, heavy rains have posed a challenge lately in the repairs and worsened the traffic.

Aside from the Andaya Highway, there is only one lane passable in Maharlika Highway in Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte due to a landslide.

"Mayroon pa tayo diyan landslide diyan sa Barangay Rizal ng Sta. Elena, one lane lang po itong passable, dahil iyong isang lane na-damage din. So, mayroon naman tayong in-install ng mga barricade diyan, warning sign para pag-inform sa mga motorist while na malayo pa lang, alam na nila na ahead ay mayroon na pong—one lane lang po ang passable," said Eduarte.

(We have recorded a landslide in Barangay Rizal in Sta. Elena, only one lane is passable because the other one was damaged. We already installed barricades and a warning sign there to inform the motorists that only one lane is passable ahead of them.)

Further, the DPWH Region 5 warned motorists in Bicol to be careful especially in the rainy weather as the roads are oversaturated already.

"Pinaalalahanan ko lang po sana iyong mga motorista na mag-ingat po tayo sa pagbibiyahe kasi nga iyong lupa po natin ay oversaturated na. Kaya sa ngayon po ay marami na pong naitalang mga landslide dahil doon sa patuloy na pag-ulan, kaya kung minsan ay mag-ingat po tayo, hindi po natin alam kung saang banda ang babagsak na lupa, iyong sinasabi nating landslide o ‘di kaya ay rockslide," Eduarte also said.

(We advise motorists to be careful in driving because our land is already oversaturated. Hence, there have been landslides because of the rains and we cannot determine where the landslide or rockslide will exactly occur.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News