Hurricane-hit Puerto Rico roads set to suffer from more storms

Puerto Rico's road network was badly damaged by Hurricane Fiona and could suffer new deterioration from more heavy rain expected to fall in the coming days. 

The US National Hurricane Center was reported to be monitoring the development of three new storm systems in the Caribbean which could cause new flooding in Puerto Rico. 

The state of the road network has already been deemed to be "concerning" following the amount of rain that has fallen since September, according to the transport and public works ministry (DTOP).

Some 26 stretches of highways around the country remain closed, DTOP minister Eileen Vélez Vega was reported as saying by El Nuevo Día. 

“We have highways that are closed after Fiona struck, or which were closed due to the rain that fell during the previous two weeks. We definitely have highways that are more vulnerable than others and we're following up on their progress to speed up works and open them,” she said.

"This is a concerning situation because we had too much rain even before Fiona, and it hasn't stopped after the hurricane. We need better weather so we can get out there and carry out works,” she added.

The damaged highways include PR-861, PR-143, PR-1, PR-763, and highway 920, where a bridge collapsed in Yabucoa, affecting people in the Jácanas Granja area.