The first phase of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) is expected to be completed by April 2021, according to Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH).
Mark Villar, DPWH secretary, said the construction of two major segments of CLLEX has been completed: the 4.1-kilometer (km.) contract package 1 – Tarlac Section and 6.4-km.CP 2 – Rio Chico River Bridge Section.
The completed sections form part of the 30-km. four- lane expressway project to connect and improve access between the two large cities, Tarlac and Cabanatuan, under the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Roads Management Cluster 1, added Villar.
The contract package 1 also covers the construction of a 300-meter temporary off and on-ramp to be used as exit in La Paz- Victoria road while CP 2 includes the construction of 1.5 km Rio Chico River viaduct, the 42-meter Sta Lucia River Bridge and the 38-meter La Paz-Victoria underpass bridge.
Based on his recent ocular inspection in Nueva Ecija, Villar reported two remaining contract packages will be delivered to full completion by April 2021.
These are the 9.2 km. CP-3 covering Aliaga section which includes the construction of the 42-meter Guimba-Aliaga underpass bridge and Aliaga interchange which is 77 percent completed; and the 10.3-km CP-4 or Cabanatuan Section which also covers Cabanatuan and San Juan interchanges, now 84 percent completed.
An additional 4.8-km component of the expressway project from the junction of Carmen-Cabanatuan Road is the Zaragoza Interchange section which comprises of 2.8-km. access road and 2-km. interchange ramp that will cross over the embankment of CLLEX main expressway by an overpass.
CLLEX Project, Phase 1 begins from the connection of SCTEX and TPLEX in Balingcanaway, Tarlac City and ends at the Pan-Philippine Highway (Daang Maharlika) in Caalibangbangan, Cabanatuan City.
Upon full completion of the entire alignment, CLLEX Phase 1 will cut travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes. Around 11,200 motorists and commuters would benefit by CLLEX daily and ease traffic at Daang Maharlika highway by about 48 percent.
