MAASIN CITY – Landslide and rock fall threats along a major road section in Southern Leyte have been eliminated with the recent construction of a P58.81 million slope protection project.
The project in Barangay Kahupian in Sogod town has applied Switzerland’s rock protection netting technology as a permanent solution to recurring landslide and rock fall within the road that links Southern Leyte to Leyte province.
District Engineer Ma. Margarita Junia said about 140-meter stretch of the province’s highway is now covered with high tensile wire netting for slope stabilization.
This method of slope stabilization uses rock or soil anchors to pin the netting to the slope and the addition of an erosion control mat designed to prevent landslides.
“The Kahupian, Sogod road section has been identified as one of the sections that are prone to landslides. We prioritized the implementation of this project to ensure the safety of the travelling public since this is frequently-used road section,” Junia said.
The official added that it is ideal to invest in long-term solutions even if it entails more cost.
The project used high tensile wire netting to decrease the possibility of erosion and landslide in the area.
Aside from rock netting, the field office also installed stone masonry crib wall and gabions to stabilize the roadside slope and prevent soil erosion from blocking the roads.
The DPWH field office here is stepping up its efforts in providing solutions to curb landslide, rock fall, and soil erosion in the province.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ranked Southern Leyte province as the seventh most vulnerable to heavy landslides in the Philippines. (PR)
