Section of Andaya Highway remains closed

MANILA, Philippines — The remaining section of Andaya Highway in Lupi town in Camarines Sur may be opened to traffic this weekend, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Bicol said yesterday.

Francisco Ranches Jr., LTO-Bicol regional director, said the road section is already “OK,” but could not be opened yet to traffic because it is still “soft.”

“It is raining in Bicol so they are adding aggregates to make it harder. We are still observing it. Hopefully, within this (weekend) the other lane will also be opened,” Ranches said over the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program.

Ranches noted there has been significant improvement in the flow of traffic along Andaya Highway following the opening of several sections.

In a report, the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) said one lane in Barangay Cabutagan in Lupi town was not yet passable as of Sunday because of an “ongoing installation/driving of steel sheet pile” on the road.

It clarified, however, that some road sections in Cabutagan and nearby Barangay Bulawan were already opened to vehicular traffic.

The DPWH added that construction workers were also doing “backfiling of earth materials.”