MAASIN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has kicked off the rehabilitation and stabilization works of the landslide-hit area in Sogod, Southern Leyte to fully restore the major road section within the year.
The DPWH field office here was referring to 200-meter portion of the highway in Pancho Villa village where a major landslide occurred last March 2018, seriously damaging the road.
The infrastructure agency will utilize its P40 million allocation this year to carry out the restoration projects. Works include road reblocking, construction of a slope protection wall, and disposal of debris materials.
“We instructed the contractor to start the work even before the approval of the 2019 infrastructure program because we understand the danger it poses to the residents and travelling public. We have to address this problem immediately,” Junia said.
The field office will apply displacement piling installation method to stabilize the foundation of the landslide site. Workers will drive piles 30 meters below underground to reach the solid ground foundation and create sheet pile afterwards.
Displacement piling installation is a method used in providing foundation support for buildings and other structures through driving piles into the ground without removing any soil or other material until it reaches the stable layer of the ground.
“Once we finish stabilizing the ground movement, we will introduce a slope protection technology to prevent another landslide in the future. The damaged road stretch will undergo major repair after prevention measures are fully completed,” the official said.
Currently, only one lane is passable in the 200-meter portion of the national highway in Pancho Villa village.
The DPWH Southern Leyte chief advised the public bound for Benit Port in San Ricardo town to take safer alternate routes while threats along the highway in Sogod town is not yet fully addressed.
Travelers bound for Benit Port may take Tacloban-Mahaplag-Baybay-Bato-Bontoc-Sogod-Daang Maharlika-Liloan-San Ricardo road for the meantime. The port is the region’s gateway to Mindanao.
(PR/FMMT)
