This handout photo from MDRRMO-Libmanan shows cracks on the Maharlika Highway on Dec. 25, 2024.

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur — Major roads in Camarines Sur are testing the patience of travelers heading to Bicol, Visayas, and Mindanao during the holidays.

Before a long-term solution is implemented for the recently repaired four road slips on Andaya Highway in Lupi, which have been damaged again due to continuous rain, further damage has also been reported on the Maharlika Highway in Libmanan, Camarines Sur after the heavy rainfall on Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

In a social media post, the Libmanan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) confirmed that the "active tension crack" previously spotted on a portion of the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Bikal has widened.

The southbound lane of the Maharlika Highway, part of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) road widening project, cracked and sank more than an inch.

"This poses potential risks to road safety and stability. Residents and motorists are urged to stay vigilant if possible," the post stated.

Residents near the damaged road are also worried as cracks have also been seen on the floor of their houses.

The cracks are almost seven kilometers away from the boundary of Maharlika and Andaya Highway.

Thus, as many people travel back to CALABARZON and Metro Manila after the New Year celebrations, heavier traffic is expected to greet vehicles passing through Camarines Sur in the first few days of 2025.

The DPWH Regional Office-5 has not yet released a statement on when the repairs will be carried out, but Camarines Sur Provincial Police Office public information officer PCPT Liza Jane Alteza assured that the PNP is ready to assist in maintaining the smooth flow of vehicles.

LTO: Traffic easing along Andaya Highway in Camarines Sur as authorities fix eroded portions of the road

"Trabaho po yan ng DPWH and ang PNP po ay to provide traffic management and security sa area, sa motorists and sa mga personnel ng DPWH na nagawork po sa road rehab ng mga affected roads po,” she said.

PORTION OF MAHARLIKA HIGHWAY CLOSED TO TRAFFIC

Meanwhile, a landslide has closed a section of the Maharlika Highway in Camarines Norte.  

The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Sitio Paraiso, Barangay Rizal, Sta. Elena.  

According to the DPWH-Camarines Norte Engineering Office, the landslide has been cleared as of Wednesday night,  but only one lane is currently passable due to a detected road slip.  

Trailer trucks are prohibited from passing through this area, and other motorists are advised to use the Andaya Highway as an alternative route, despite ongoing repairs because traffic in the area remains light at this time.

The Nabua-Balatan Road in Balatan, Camarines Sur is now open to all types of vehicles after the removal of the debris from three landslides that happened during the height of the rain caused by the shear line.

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