NLEX Corp. has begun implementing enhancement works at the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) to enhance safety of travel.
These P105 -million improvements – which include pavement surface upgrade, construction of ditch and slope protection, installation of guard rails, and application of hazard paint – intend to make SFEX and its surrounding slopes safer for motorists.
“With these enhancements, we expect to further protect motorists from roadside hazards by strengthening the slopes and improving the drainage system and other safety features at the SFEX,” said J. Luigi Bautista, NLEX president.
The pavement surface upgrade, which will help drain water away from the roadway especially during heavy rains, covers a total length of 4,374 linear meters between Jadjad and Argonaut bridges.
To stabilize the slopes and prevent erosion, a wire mesh is being installed and concrete is being applied on a 1,830-square-meter portion of SFEX, the company said. Concrete barriers and other structures are painted with hazard warning marking to make motorists aware of potential risks.
Last February 2021, NLEX completed the SFEX capacity expansion. A total of 16.4 new lane kilometers, two new bridges and a new tunnel were constructed as part of the P1.6-billion expansion project.
The tollway company also installed international standard LED lights, raised the elevation of the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and enhanced the area’s drainage system to boost motorists’ safety.
NLEX said this was constructed despite the pandemic in response to the need to accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods and services between the economic zones in Clark and Subic.
It has been fulfilling its primary function of improving mobility and helping the infrastructure development program and growing transshipment operations in Subic, the company added.
NLEX Corp. is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the toll road arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which also operates the North Luzon and Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressways.
