The Catanduanes Circumferential Road Improvement Project (CCRIP)

October 22, 2007: Inaugurated was the 79.818-kilometer road stretching from San Andres to Viga and five (5) bridges, which are components of the fourth phase of the Arterial Road Links Development Project.

Pagsangahan bridge

Total project cost amounted to approximately 1.1 billion pesos and was financed by Official Development Assistance from the Government of Japan. This road section is the biggest in the planned 200-kilometer Catanduanes Circumferential Road Improvement Project.

• CP I: Codon-San Andres-Virac-Viga Road (79.848 kms.) - completed
  
• CP II: Viga-Bagamanoc Road (9.985 kms.) - in progress
  
• CP III: Bagamanoc-Pandan Road (48.106 kms.) - in progress
  
• CP IV: Pandan-Caramoran-Codon (62.221 kms.) - in progress

The second phase of the multibillion-peso Catanduanes Circumferential Road Improvement Project (CCRIP) has been included in the 28th Yen Loan Package of the Japanese government.

Target Completion: 2010

RELATED LINKS:

• The Way We Were - State of circumferential road to Payo from Virac during its construction phase.

The Way We Were

Traveling or driving going to northern Catanduanes was really thrilling, challenging and fun particularly during the construction of the Catanduanes Circumferential Road Improvement Project (CCRIP) - Phase I. I used to drive at the 60 kilometers stretch many times. Maneuvering requires some intuition, guts and lots of common sense so as your vehicle would not be stuck in the mud and loose earth. Indeed, a big difference if one is used to city driving.

During my frequent trips, I used to wonder that the whole stretch could be a good venue for an off-road car rally. All the challenges were in placed, muddy and dry in some section, blind curves, uphill and downhill drives.

For the commuting public, at that time, one has to squeezed-in into overcrowded public vehicles. Average travel time then was 3-4 hours, yet I never heard anyone complained about their horrendous trip. All were anticipating for a better road.

In October 2007, the CCRIP - Phase I was completed and inaugurated.

In progress is the 120.36 km. from Viga to Codon, San Andres (CCRIP - Phase II) with an estimated budget cost of Php 2.8B.

RELATED LINKS:

• The Road Going to North - Travelling from Virac to northern towns of Viga, Panganiban and Bagamanoc is much better off now compared to 4 years ago.
• Catanduanes Skyway - Wild suggestion to initiate development of a cable car system to run from Bicol mainland up to northernmost town of Pandan.
• The Catanduanes Circumferential Road Improvement Project (CCRIP) - October 22, 2007: Inaugurated was the 79.818-kilometer road stretching from San Andres to Viga and five (5) bridges, which are components of the fourth phase of the Arterial Road Links Development Project.

NDCC Report: Minor Flooding and Landslide

National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) 7 January 2009 report.

Situation Overview

• Governor Joseph C. Cua of Catanduanes Province DPWH 5 has confirmed that continuous rains which occured since last night triggered the occurrence of landslide and flooding along Circumferential Road in said province.
• Sections were affected last night were Brgy Sipi, Bato; Bato-Linao; Tilod, Baras and Banabaan in Caramoran; and two sections along Baras-Gimoto Road.

One electric post in Viga-Bagamanoc Road collapsed due to landslide.

No casualty were reported in relation to landslide incident.

Road Condition as of 3:00 PM today, 7 January 2009

• Virac-San Andres Road Section - passable until the area of Panabanaon as the chokepoint of the heavy landslide in the area.
• San Andres-Caramoran-Pandan Road Section - impassable due to the chokepoint at the Panabanaon area which is totally under debris of mud, gravel and vegetation.
• Virac-San Miguel Road Section - The Balonbong area had been blocked again by debris. This section has an intermittent occurence of landslides. Hence all types of vehicles cannot pass this section and commuters are now using Bato river to traverse.
• Virac-Bato-Baras Road Section - passable until Bagumbayan, Baras and with landslide at Tilod and Batolinao, all of Baras.
• Baras-Gigmoto Road Section - impassable due to landslide at Barangay Agban.
• Gigmoto-Viga Road Section - impassable due to landslide at Villa Aurora.
• Viga-Bagamanoc Road - now passable to tourist as clearing operations is ongoing.

Actions Taken

• The First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative (FICELCO) is currently undergoing repair of collapsed post in Viga - Bagamanoc. Electricity is still cut off until the post is fixed.
• DPWH is fast tracking the clearing operations in all landslide areas and monitoring all vital reports and situations including warning generations for all threats caused by the intermittent bad weather.

Issues and Concern
Catanduanes Province is now low on petroleum and LPG supplies due to the rough seas. There is an intermittent power outage in the entire island.