Construction of the first 5-kilometer section of the P23 billion NLEX Connector, between Caloocan and España Interchanges, is 35 per cent complete and has reached Abad Santos Street and Blumentritt, Manila.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar made the progress report Monday, (May 17) after he inspected the project with NLEX officials.
“We are working together with NLEX to expedite the right-of-way delivery within the properties of the Philippine National Railways (PNR)," he explained.
Bored piling works and concrete casting of columns have started in the Manila area from Solis all the way to Dimasalang.
The NLEX Connector will accommodate around 35,000 motorists daily.
"Upon completion, this section will bring NLEX commuters directly to the University Belt in Manila,” Villar noted.
This latest Metro Manila elevated expressway section is being constructed inside the Philippine National Railways (PNR) tracks between Harbor Link-Caloocan Interchange along C3 Road/5th Ave. and España Blvd. in Sampaloc, Manila.
The section will have on and off ramps in España Interchange and will make NLEX directly accessible to the heart of Manila.
The next 3-km elevated section between España Interchange and the vicinity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila is ready for construction by June 2021.
“We are doing everything we can to accelerate the completion of this expressway," says NLEX Corporation President and GM J. Luigi L. Bautista.
The entire 8-km NLEX Connector is vital to ensure improved mobility within Metro Manila, he underscored.
The NLEX Connector uses the new Super T girders that will help fast-track the construction process.
Once opened, the road will provide better access to Manila Ports and NAIA and Clark airports.
It will reduce travel time from NLEX to South Luzon Expressway from two hours to 20 minutes and support business activities in fast-growing regions, such as Central Luzon and Calabarzon.
“As a partner of the government, we are committed to completing our projects as scheduled to address traffic congestion and support the country’s economic growth,” Bautista added.
The NLEX Connector is a public-private partnership project under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and private sector partner Metro Pacific Tollways-led NLEX Corporation.