BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The San Carlos City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) advised motorists to avoid using the eco-translink highway at night due to the threat of landslides.
Mayor Rene Gustilo recently inspected a part of the highway at Upper Caticlan, part of the city’s Barangay Rizal.
During last week’s heavy rains brought by a combination of shear line and low-pressure area (LPA), the soil in the area was completely soaked. Although weather conditions improved for the past few days, the area remained dangerous.
The San Carlos DRRMO pre-positioned some of equipment to help stranded travelers if a landslide occurs, while the City Engineering Office and the local Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were assigned to immediately conduct clearing operations should the roads get blocked again.
The eco-translink highway connects San Carlos City to the town of Don Salvador Benedicto.
It is also a major link between San Carlos City and Bacolod City, with travel time at only two hours, compared to the longer three- to four-hour route via Escalante City.
The highway is also a popular route for travelers heading to Cebu province due to the shorter travel time./PN
