ILIGAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started work on a temporary road beside the collapsed portion of the Iligan-Bukidnon highway in Barangay Besigan, in the hinterlands of Cagayan de Oro City, so it can soon accommodate vehicular traffic
Engr. Maria David, DPWH district engineer for Iligan City, said the temporary lane that they will build is designed to handle only light vehicles.
On May 5, 2023, morning, DPWH personnel lifted the 10-wheeler truck that fell into the pit created when the road collapsed on April 30.
The truck was fully loaded with falcata logs.
David said they are still awaiting the budget to do full-blown repair work on the damaged road, adding that for 2023, the Iligan City engineering district only had P13 million for road maintenance.
The Iligan-Bukidnon road had been a convenient route for travelers from Lanao del Norte and the Zamboanga Peninsula toward Bukidnon and on to Davao, bypassing the coastal highway leading to Cagayan de Oro City.
However, it is often affected by landslides and road slips. (Richel V. Umel/Inquirer.net)