Wednesday, May 07, 2008 City Hall closes Sinsin road, prepares alternative route By Elisabeth P. Baumgart Sun.Star Correspondent
BECAUSE of highly fractured stones that make the area prone to landslides, Barangay Sinsin’s main road was classified as a “dangerous” area by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
The road from Barangay Sudlon leading to Sinsin will be closed and will not be rehabilitated for now, as the area is too dangerous for heavy equipment to enter.
“Unless a detailed geotechnical study will be conducted, we will not know the exact condition of the stones underneath the soil,” said MBG 7 senior geologist Maria Elena Lupo.
Based on the MGB 7’s initial findings, the stones in Sinsin are highly fractured and are susceptible to landslides.
“As of now, we don’t know yet when the earth will stabilize, so it’s not safe to enter the area at this time,” Lupo added.
Instead of repairing the road, Cebu City Council Gerardo Carillo will look into the possibility of developing an alternative road. The existing road affected by the landslide will be closed permanently.
“We will immediately start with the asphalting of the alternative road to assist the residents here,” Carillo said during an ocular inspection of the area yesterday morning.
Lupo advised Sinsin’s barangay officials to put up warning signs and close the affected area to avoid any accident.
Barangay Captain Ramon Ylaya Jr. assured that they will put up warning signs by next week and will try to assign barangay tanods there to ensure everyone’s safety.
MGB is scheduled to conduct a detailed study of the area, mapping out the affected areas of Sinsin and studying the surface cracks.
Lupo also suggested that the City Government perform a geo-hazard mapping in Sinsin and in other mountain barangays to identify areas that are prone to landslides.
Carillo said he will also push for the conduct of geo-hazard mapping in all mountain barangays.
Through the geo-hazard mapping, the City Government would be able to identify high risk, landslide-prone areas and study the slopes, soil types and classification of stones.
“That way, we will be able to advice developers,” said Carillo.
It will also help City officials identify what infrastructure projects are needed and where they are needed, which would also mean savings for the City.
In their session this afternoon, Carillo will propose to the City Council to conduct geo-hazard mapping in the mountain barangays and place barangays Sinsin, Babag, Sirao and Guba under a state of calamity following the landslides that affected these villages.
