The NLEX Corporation Tuesday, Aug. 9, ramped up enforcement of its anti-overloading policy, imposing a 33-ton weight limit on trucks plying the Candaba Viaduct Southbound, to ensure motorists" safety at NLEX-SCTEX while repairs are ongoing.
“The anti-overloading program restricts overloaded vehicles from entering the expressways and asks them to go to the nearest exit point as the extra load may affect vehicle control, causing accidents and endangering other motorists,” explained NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista.
For the first half of the year, more than 8,000 truckers were given traffic tickets at the expressways for violating the anti-overloading provision stated in Republic Act 8794, “An Act Imposing a Motor Vehicle User’s Charge on Owners of all Types of Motor Vehicle and for Other Purposes.”
The law penalizes trucks and trailers for loading beyond their prescribed gross vehicle weight and axle load exceeding 13.5 tons.
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NLEX teams are positioned at strategic entry points to weigh vehicles.
They also prohibit the entry of vehicles carrying loose construction aggregates not leveled or improperly covered, as stated in the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Revised Safety Rules and Regulations.
The tollway operator"s intensified operations reduce the risk of accidents since overloaded vehicles damage road surfaces with their excess weight.
In addition, NLEX Corp. currently implements stringent measures in line with the ongoing urgent safety repair of the Candaba Viaduct Southbound.
Loaded trucks, trailers, and other heavy equipment weighing 33 tons and above (12-wheelers and up) are barred from passing through the bridge to preserve its structure and allow repairs of its deck and girders.
AMH Philippines, NLEX Corp.’s engineering consultant, previously mentioned that subjecting the Candaba Viaduct to heavy loads more than what the bridge was designed for causes continuous cyclical fatigue stress, which in turn affect the condition of the bridge.
For more than 40 years, the Candaba Viaduct served as a vital transport link between Metro Manila and the provinces in Central and North Luzon.
The five-kilometer bridge ensures the transport of people and delivery of goods and services to the North.
Already, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda gathered truckers and relevant agencies to agree on the weight limit.
“We are delighted that truckers in Pampanga, thru the efforts of Governor Pineda, have signified their willingness to comply with the weight limits on our expressways,” Bautista acknowledged.
On top of enforcing weight limits, NLEX likewise conducted roadshows and dialogues with various transport groups and local government units, educating them on proper loading and other safety rules.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.