Skyway beam crashes, causes traffic mayhem
Five persons were injured when part of a beam at the Skyway extension project’s construction site along Osmeña Highway in Makati City collapsed yesterday morning.
The crash of the project’s rebar cage in Pier 23 near the Cash & Carry Mall, which occurred at around 9:45 a.m., caused debris to fall on the thoroughfare’s north and south lanes, according to project contractor DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI).
Reports identified DMCI construction workers J-Ar Balaquidan, Ronald Degano, Jerwin Deocareza, Norman Nicolas and Guillermo Santos Jr. as having sustained scratches and minor injuries, based on data provided by the Makati police.
The accident also damaged two private cars – a Honda Jazz and a Toyota Avanza – parked below and triggered the heavy buildup of vehicles in the area, particularly near the exit of the mall’s supermarket.
Motorists reported traffic gridlocks in Manila, Pasay and Parañaque.
“We are now attending to our workers and fasttracking the clearing operations to make the affected portions of Osmeña Highway passable to motorists,” DMCI said in a statement released immediately after the accident.
“Our safety and technical personnel are also on site to investigate the cause of the accident.”
On her Twitter account, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay advised motorists to take alternate routes to avoid the traffic congestion.
The Makati Rescue Personnel and Public Safety Department rushed to the scene and closed both lanes of the highway to clear the debris.
DMCI expected the area to be cleared by 3 p.m. yesterday. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused the public,” it said.
The Makati police’s traffic investigation unit is conducting an investigation into the case.