The operator of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) is planning to build a third highway alongside the two 5.3-kilometer viaducts crossing the Candaba swampland in Bulacan and Pampanga, according to Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr.
Gonzales has been calling for the construction of new long bridges that would replace the 46-year-old viaducts due to safety concerns.
NLEX Corp. officials revealed their plans during a consultative meeting he organized last Tuesday, said Gonzales, adding a third viaduct would complement the two existing bridges which are being repaired and retrofitted.
“The new road and the improvement of the present expressway will ensure the continued interconnectivity of Metro Manila and areas south of Luzon, on one hand, and central and northern Luzon, on the other,” he said.
Gonzales said aside from thousands of motorists and commuters, billions of pesos worth of goods are transported between the National Capital Region and Central and Northern Luzon through NLEX, of which the long, elevated bridges across the 30-meter deep Candaba swamps are a major part.
“Safety issues arising from the two viaducts’ age and their constant use and heavy load are a real concern. I am glad that the expressway operator is addressing these,” Gonzales said.
NLEX Corp. officials led by lawyer Romulo Quimbo Jr. said the third highway would be built between the two existing northbound and southbound viaducts and would be composed of six lanes, with construction scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2023 and completed towards the end of 2024.
The company said a traffic scheme will be implemented to avoid inconvenience and disruptions on the part of motorists and commuters, adding the two viaducts are a being repaired, improved and retrofitted so these would become “like new roadways.”
Quimbo said the plan is for the third highway to be used by cargo trucks and other heavy vehicles, while the existing spans would be limited to cars and lighter vehicles.
The operator would shoulder the estimated P8-billion cost of the new viaduct, he added.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) have expressed support to the planned new roadway.
However, TRB officials have warned that the construction and completion of the new bridge would mean an increase in toll fees.
Gonzales also appealed to the NLEX operator to help DPWH improve at least five bridges crossing the expressway, from Bulacan to Pampanga.
“These were built by the national government or local governments. They are not part of NLEX but they make access to the expressway easier and faster,” he said.
