By MYLA IGLESIAS
NLEX Corp. eyes to complete the first 5 kilometers of the P23-billion North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Connector road project and to commence construction of two more projects by the second half of the year.
Construction of the 8-km. NLEX Connector continues to advance, with the progress of the first 5-km. España section between Caloocan and España interchanges now standing at 70 percent and is expected to be completed within the year.
The entire elevated road extends the expressway southward from NLEX Harbor Link Caloocan Interchange on Circumferential Road 3 (C3), España Blvd., R. Magsaysay Blvd., all the way to Sta. Mesa, Manila.
“We continue to actively contribute to our country’s economic recovery by ramping up our infrastructure improvements that aim to enhance the mobility and safety of motorists,” J. Luigi Bautisa, NLEX Corp. president, said in a statement
Once NLEX Connector is opened, around 35,000 motorists are expected to be served by this new expressway, which runs mostly above the alignment of the Philippine National Railways.
The tollway company also plans to start the construction this year of the first 2 km. of the NLEX C5 Link section between the Mindanao Avenue toll plaza and Quirino Highway in Novaliches, Quezon City.
In its entirety, the NLEX C5 Link is an 11.5-km. expressway traversing Mindanao Avenue, Quirino Highway, Regalado Avenue, Congressional Avenue and C.P. Garcia Avenue in Quezon City.
It is a vital portion of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.’s (MPTC) Urban Ring Road or the interconnected tollway network that is being developed to link up the west, east, north and south sides of Metro Manila.
When completed, it is seen to reduce the travel time between Mindanao Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue to 10 minutes instead of the usual 45 minutes.
Also included in NLEX Corp.’s pipeline of projects for 2022 is the construction of the third bridge at the Candaba Viaduct.
Situated between Pulilan, Bulacan and Apalit, Pampanga, the Candaba Viaduct is a strategic expressway link that has been serving the Metro Manila and Central and North Luzon road corridor for several years.
The Candaba Third Viaduct project, which is expected to be completed in 24 months, will expand the 5-km. bridge from the existing three lanes without shoulder to three lanes with inner and outer shoulder per direction.
Aside from making travels safer and more convenient, this new bridge will also translate to faster journeys as it will increase the maximum speed at the viaduct from 60 kilometers per hour to 80 kph.
NLEX Corp., which operates NLEX and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, is a unit of MPTC, the toll road arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
