NAVAL, Biliran -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)- Biliran District Engineering Office (DEO) headed by District Engineer Ferdinand A. Briones, together with the maintenance crew, assisted in the road clearing operations of landslide debris that blocked along Lemon-Leyte-Biliran Road particularly in Brgy. Palarao, Leyte, Leyte.

An estimated volume of 12,000 cubic meters landslide debris blocked the said area on April 13 due to non-stop heavy rains caused by Tropical Depression Agaton, leaving the road section not passable to all types of vehicles.

Maintenance teams from DPWH-Biliran DEO, Leyte 3rd DEO, and augmented assets from DPWH Regional Office VIII, tirelessly worked round the clock in a bid to open the said section to traffic. Contractors have also voluntarily assisted in the clearing operations.

DPWH deployed two (2) backhoes and two (2) dump trucks at the Leyte side and two (2) backhoes, one (1) payloader and five (5) dump trucks at the Biliran side.

As of 1 p.m. on April 14, Lemon-Leyte-Biliran Road was one-lane passable to all types of vehicles, just in time for the Holy Week.

Travelling public were advised to traverse this road section with caution because of slippery road.

The road in Brgy. Palarao is the only access by land in going in and out from the Province of Biliran to the mainland of Leyte.

Meanwhile, DPWH-Biliran DEO also conducted a series of clearing operations along its area of jurisdiction during the onslaught of TD Agaton.

As of this writing, the Leyte-Biliran Road, Biliran-Naval Road, Naval-Almeria Road, Maripipi Circumferential Road, Kawayan-Culaba Road, Culaba-Caibiran-Cabucgayan Road and Cabucgayan-Biliran Road are passable to traffic while the road section at Naval-Caibiran Cross Country Road (Sitio Cansiso, Brgy. Cabibihan, Caibiran, Biliran) is one lane passable due to road slip. Motorists are advised to slow down while traversing this road section. (DPWH-BDEO)