Magnitude 6.1 caused infra damages

Yesterday, at around 5:11 pm, a Magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Luzon. Though the epicenter was in Zambales, the quake was felt through Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

The strong quake had affected several roads and public infrastructure. As a precaution, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has now doubled its efforts to assess the damage the quake has dealt to several roads and infrastructure.

One image circulating around social media is the destruction of the Pampanga-Bataan welcome arc, or, what is left of it. As of this writing, the DPWH Pampanga 2nd District Engineering Office has immediately cleared the debris and the road is now passable to all types of vehicles

Besides the welcome arc, the DPWH has also listed down several roads which may be impassable to certain types of vehicles:

- Portions of Lubao

- Sasmuan-Lubao bridge (passable to light vehicles only)

- Megadike access roads in Bacolor, Pampanga (closed from Dolores to Calibutbut/Maliwalo)

- Floridablanca Consuelo Bridge (closed to all vehicles)

In the City of Manila, the DPWH has closed one lane of UN Avenue, particularly the portion near Emilio Aguinaldo College, which has a building leaning precariously on another building beside it. The DPWH is also urging the public to send them photos of any infrastructure damage in their particular area. Once reported, the agency will be sending a team to the location for inspection.

Aside from the DPWH, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation is also conducting inspections along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), as well as the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). As of 7:00 PM last night, they have declared that the Pasig-Potrero and Caulaman bridges are safe for passage. The status of Porac bridge, which is said to have incurred damage, has yet to be determined. MPTC says they will announce updates as soon as possible. The MPTC would also like to reiterate that there are no boulders blocking SCTEX.

DPWH has closed several roads due to earthquake image

The management of the Clark International Speedway also announced that they have closed their facilities for the time being to assess the damage caused by the earthquake, if any, and will resume operations on Wednesday, April 24.