The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Negros Oriental has started repairing a segment of the national highway and seawall in Sta. Catalina town, that were damaged by Super Typhoon “Uwan”.
Engr. Patrick Henry Undag, point person of the DPWH 3rd Engineering District Maintenance Division, said on Wednesday that the affected two-lane portion of the highway at Sitio Nagbagang in Barangay Poblacion has already been sealed off from motorists.
Undag said strong waves from a storm surge on Sunday night caused a part of the seawall to collapse, allowing seawater to seep through the ground under the highway.
“It did not just happen overnight. In the subsequent days, sections of the seawall and the road detached as the seawater kept on eroding the ground underneath,” he said.
Approximately 60 meters of the dual carriageway, encompassing 15 meters of seawall, sustained damage from the storm surge.
The DPWH 3rd Engineering District has placed early warning signals and road signs in the area and redirected traffic via a detour road along the shoulder of the national highway.
Undag said there is no specific timeline for restoring the repair.
Engr. Maria Victoria Malcampo, chief of the DPWH 3rd Engineering District Maintenance Division, said they have submitted a request to the DPWH-Negros Island Region for PHP150-million funding for the improvement of the affected highway.
She said the estimated cost of repairing the highway and seawall is PHP50 million, but they are planning to reinforce the structure with sheet piles to extend its lifespan.
Malacampo noted that the erosion and damage to the national highway and seawall in the area is a “recurring” issue, particularly during high tide and when large waves crash into the seawall, prompting the agency to implement temporary repairs each time.
“We don’t have any fund release for maintenance alone here in our district,” she said.*