NLEX Corp. has tapped DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI) as contractor for the first segment of the P23-billion North Luzon expressway (NLEx) connector project that is slated to start construction this November.
Luigi Bautista, NLEX president and general manager, said the formal signing for the contract with DMCI is set this week, to start the actual construction of the first 5 kilometers from Caloocan connecting to Circumferential road 3 (C3) all the way to España by next month.
“We will sign the contract and then the first bored pile that will be executed will be by second week of November. So between today and the second week of November, DMCI will start preparing for mobilization,” Bautista said.
The first segment will be completed in 20 months and will be opened to motorists by phases.
“The actual start will be the first bored pile… That’s the first work on the ground so that will be second week of November. And then construction will continue for 20 months,” Bautista said.
The 8-km. connector road project is divided into two sections. For the remaining 3-km. road, NLEX will start the bidding process next month as it has to fast track construction to meet the target completion by end of 2021, Bautista said.
“For the second phase by next month we will start the bid process to select the contractor. By around February next year, we would have appointed also the contractor for Section 2,” he said.
The NLEX connector road project broke ground last February. Actual construction was pushed back to November this year due to government delays on the delivery of right of way.
The project is an all-elevated highway along the Philippine National Railways extending the NLEx southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3/5th Avenue, Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila.
It is expected to reduce travel time between NLEx and South Luzon expressway (SLEx) from two hours to just 20 minutes and between Clark and Calamba, Laguna from 3 hours to just one hour and 40 minutes.
NLEX Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., which operates NLEx and Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway.
DMCI is also the contractor for San Miguel Corp.’s P26.5-billion connector road project, Metro Manila Skyway stage 3, which is a 14.8-km. expressway connecting NLEx and SLEx.
