NLEX Corp. has completed the upgrade of the Candaba Viaduct southbound portion that links Pampanga and Bulacan.
NLEX said it will also upgrade some of the priority link slabs at the northbound side this July.
About 25 bridge link slabs made of concrete that connect two bridge deck spans have been replaced with a pot bearing system to restore the driving comfort of motorists.
Thirteen of these were completed in 2020 while the other 12 were undertaken this year. By July, four link slabs will be replaced at the northbound portion to strengthen the bridge and boost road safety, the company said.
Series of upgrades are being done at the Candaba Viaduct since 2019 as part of the four-year rehabilitation plan that will ensure safety, stability and long-term serviceability of the structure.
“We have slated a series of upgrades for the Viaduct as a result of the bridge condition survey and engineering study that we commissioned in 2018. We are optimistic that these improvements will enhance the capacity and efficiency of our expressway thus promote safety and provide better service to our motorists,” said J. Luigi Bautista, NLEX president and general manager.
As in the previous works on the southbound, the upcoming northbound upgrade will also require motorists to slow down and utilize a temporary steel Bailey bridge that will be installed to allow cars, vans, small trucks and buses to cross over the link slab construction site.
A counterflow lane at the southbound carriageway will also be available for cargo trucks and the above-mentioned vehicles.
Aside from replacing the link slabs at the Candaba Viaduct, the tollway company is also rehabilitating the Meycauayan and Bigaa bridges in Bulacan and conducting safety repairs on Pau, Pasig Potrero and Caulaman bridges in Pampanga.
