[SIZE="4"]SLEX closed to traffic [/SIZE]


By Joel Guinto
INQ7.net
Last updated 01:50pm (Mla time) 09/28/2006


THE SOUTH Luzon Expressway (SLEX) has been closed to traffic as fallen trees and debris littered the highway brought about by the heavy rains and strong winds of Typhoon Milenyo, Trade Secretary Peter Favila has said.

"The entire operations of SLEX has been paralyzed... Tollgates were destroyed," Favila told President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a teleconference Thursday at the National Disaster Coordinating Council in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Largely affected was the northbound stretch of C-5 road, which cuts across several cities and municipalities in the metropolis, Favila said.

The Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC), which operates the SLEX, has sought the help of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) for repairs and cleanup, Favila said.

He said the MMDA was in charge of clearing operations along C-5.

Arroyo was originally set to preside over the meeting at Camp Aguinaldo but said she was heading back to Clark Field in Angeles City to supervise relief operations.

The former US air base is on the path of the typhoon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
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