NLEX Corp. is set to undertake an urgent major safety upgrade in the southbound portion of the Candaba viaduct starting on July 11.
With this, NLEX said it will implement a rerouting plan for trucks with 12 wheels and more starting on the same day.
Class 1 and 2 vehicles as well as 10-wheeler trucks below 33 tons are still allowed to use the southbound portion of the viaduct.
The northbound portion of Candaba will not be affected by the rerouting scheme, the company said.
“Upon the inspection and reassessment of AMH Philippines, our engineering consultant, the southbound viaduct is still being adversely affected by heavy loads and in the interest of public safety, there is an immediate precautionary need to restrict the weight of vehicles traveling on it, while the retrofitting of the structure is ongoing,” said J. Luigi Bautista, NLEX president.
The engineering consultant recommended to address the issue immediately to ensure the safety and long-term serviceability of the viaduct, saying the limit for trucks using the southbound portion should be a maximum of 10 wheels and should not exceed a gross vehicle weight of 33 tons.
The tollway company also sees the rerouting scheme of trucks with 12 wheels and more as one of the immediate solutions to preserve this vital public infrastructure while it conducts the safety upgrade.
The rerouting scheme will affect the San Fernando and San Simon toll plazas. Thus, motorists are advised to have their RFIDs installed and ensure that their accounts are updated and have sufficient load, NLEX said. – Myla Iglesias
