The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and NLEX Corporation today (February 19, 2021) formally opened the P1.6 billion, 8.2 km Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) expansion linking Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga and the rest of Central Luzon through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
NLEX Corp. built the new expressway despite the pandemic to accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods between the economic zones in Clark and Subic.
The project increased the expressway capacity from a single two-way carriageway to a double carriageway with dedicated lanes in each direction.
NLEX Corp. built a total of 16.4 new lane kilometers, two new bridges in Jadjad and Argonaut, and a new tunnel.
They 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.
“We continued the construction of the new expressway despite the pandemic and the stringent health protocols," noted NLEX Corp. President and GM J. Luigi L. Bautista.
"The construction project provided jobs and supported the livelihood of our people. It was also our way of helping our countrymen manage the economic impact of the health crisis," he added.
The expansion likewise complements the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)’s infrastructure rehabilitation and development program, spurring investments and tourism in the Subic Freeport.
"This fresh Metro Pacific Tollways infrastructure investment will improve mobility, accelerate the country’s economic recovery and support the logistics and supply chain we urgently need. Around 10,000 motorists daily will benefit from this new road,” says Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Mark A. Villar.
Last December 28, NLEX partially opened the new expressway to serve motorists during the holiday season.
A series of road safety audits showed that the completed project is compliant with expressway standards and ready to be fully opened to the motoring public.
Other ongoing NLEX Corp projects under construction are the the 8-km NLEX Connector and the Candaba Viaduct Upgrade.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).