MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced on Thursday, April 25, that all roads and bridges damaged in earthquake-hit areas are now open to the public.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said quick response teams were immediately deployed to inspect the structural integrity of public infrastructure.

“The DPWH Quick Response Teams were able to assess, fix, and open various roads, bridges, and other infrastructure that were damaged,” Villar said in a statement.

On Monday, April 22, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck parts of Luzon, with its epicenter located in Castillejos, Zambales. Several buildings and roads were damaged. (READ: What makes buildings earthquake-ready?)

The DPWH has since inspected a total of 275 national bridges, flyovers, and viaducts, as well as 452 school buildings and 142 other public buildings in Metro Manila.

The report showed the following bridges and school buildings sustained damage:

• Guadalupe Bridge in Makati City had a crack on its girder
• Tinajeros Bridge and Tanza Bridge in Malabon City had minor cracks on railings
• 53 school buildings in Metro Manila mostly had cracks on walls, columns, beams, and ceilings
• 3 school buildings were recommended for immediate structural evaluation

The Guadalupe Bridge is already up for major retrofitting, while the Tanza Bridge will undergo a second stage of inspection.

Villar said they are coordinating with the Department of Education for the restoration of school buildings, especially those with major damage. (READ: DepEd to school heads: Check safety of school buildings after Luzon earthquake)

In Pampanga, ground zero of the Luzon earthquake, Floridablanca’s Consuelo Bridge was made accessible to light vehicles on Wednesday afternoon, April 24.

In Manila, one lane across Emilio Aguinaldo College is still cordoned off to prevent debris from possibly falling onto passing vehicles. The building tilted after the earthquake on Monday.

Monday’s earthquake rocked parts of Luzon at 5:11 pm, leaving at least 16 people dead and 81 injured. At least 14 people remain missing. – Rappler.com