Catchwalls
erected in Caglanipao, Cagmanipis
By
CHENZI MAY D. UY
February 20, 2019
CALBAYOG CITY – The
Department of Public Works and Highways Samar First District
Engineering Office (SFDEO) has completed the construction of
concrete catchwalls along national road of Barangay Cagmanipis and
Barangay Caglanipao Sur in Tinambacan District.
The P100-M project was
initiated in June 1, 2018, spanning a net length of 463.7 meters.
Project Engineer Alfredo
C. Monsanto, Jr. explained that these areas are prone to landslide
due to their unstable mountainous profile. “There is always a
possibility for rockfalls and landslides to occur when there is a
weather disturbance,” he said.
In fact, in July 2017, the
Calbayog-Allen road lanes traversing Caglanipao were closed due to
landslide caused by incessant rains from Tropical Depression Gorio.
The event resulted in P10-M damages and major inconvenience to
hundreds of commuters. Approximately 138-meters of road area was
covered with 15,000 cubic meters of soil and debris. Yet another
landslide occurred in the area when tropical storm Salome hit Samar
in November 2017.
A rockslide in Cagmanipis
Sur was also recorded during the tropical storm Urduja in December
2017.
These national roads carry
heavy traffic on a daily basis, so slope protection is a must for
ensuring the safety of the travelling public.
Catchwalls are designed to
arrest errant boulders that have broken off from the rock outcrop as
well as prevent loose soil from spilling over onto the roads. These
structures are essential to successfully building a safe and
all-weather road not just for the travellers but for the local
community as well.
