Deep floods are actually possible on SCTEX

Continuous rains flood section of SCTEX near Dinalupihan last July 22, 2018

For the past few weeks, torrential rains from typhoons 'Henry and 'Josie' (as well as from the Southwest Monsoon) have left most parts of Luzon blanketed by floods. Rivers have risen beyond their banks while city streets and town roads became waterways in just a few hours. The continuous downpour also meant that key roadways such as expressways and highways have fallen victim to flooding.

Take for example the Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway (SCTEX). Apparently, a section of SCTEX near Dinalupihan was submerged in water last July 22 around late afternoon. Taken by Facebook user Romeo C Tagle, one could clearly see that the section of road is sitting between two bodies of water that have overflowed due to the constant deluge of rain.

The flood was so severe that motorists coming to and from Subic had a hard time navigating through the flooded section. There was even one BMW that stalled in the middle of the road which likely resulted from an intake full of water. Other cars, vans and utility vehicles however, braved the floods to get to their destinations.

There was also a landslide that happened near Subic-Tipo. With nearly two weeks of rain pouring down, the soil has become too soft to support the weight of the land.

This incident again proves that expressways are not immune to flooding. Other major thoroughfares like South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) are also prone to water build-up. During 2009's Ondoy, sections of both NLEX and SLEX were submerged in water, effectively isolating motorists from other portions of the expressways.

With the recent flooding resulting in such circumstances, this serves as a wakeup call not only for Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC), but to other tollway management companies as well. Here's to hoping that they find a way to combat flooding in the future.