NLEX Corporation is redeveloping Magsaysay Boulevard, Manila, starting this October 2022, as part of the construction of the NLEX Connector Sta. Mesa Section, the tollway operator announced in a statement Wednesday, October 19.

“The redevelopment project and the NLEX Connector both aim to ease traffic in the metro and improve the flow of vehicles in its surrounding areas,” says NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista.

Being an alternative and truck ban-free route, the elevated expressway will also reduce traffic on roads where trucks traverse before, he pointed out.

The redevelopment of Magsaysay Boulevard includes the rehabilitation of the existing eastbound and westbound service roads, improvement of Philippine National Railways (PNR) railroad crossing, relocation of electric posts, and decommissioning of the Magsaysay Flyover.

This project will be implemented until the first quarter of 2023 with the decommissioning of the Magsaysay Flyover completed by December 2022, before the Christmas holidays.

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Work will be done in phases, with temporary lane closures commencing at the road going to Legarda, Manila then at the road going to Cubao, Quezon City.

A minimum of three lanes per direction will remain open during daytime, while two lanes per direction will be available during nighttime.

Once completed, the traffic flow at Magsaysay Boulevard is expected to greatly improve as it will have new configuration of five lanes per direction and will be wider with 3.5 meters per lane, at par with the standards of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Currently, the Magsaysay Boulevard has six lanes per direction with narrow lanes measuring 2.5 meters.

With the decommissioning of the Magsaysay Flyover, the Connector mainline will be at the second level rather than at the fourth level thus ensuring safer and faster travel of all classes of vehicles particularly, Class 3 vehicles coming to and from the port areas.

The tollway company and its contractor will undertake necessary measures to minimize slowdowns and ensure safety of motorists and pedestrians while the redevelopment works are ongoing.

These include the deployment of traffic marshals and installation of directional signs and safety devices at strategic locations, among others.

“With a traffic management scheme in place, we seek to provide safe and efficient passage to the public while we are undertaking this redevelopment of Magsaysay Boulevard,” Bautista added.

The eight-kilometer NLEX Connector is divided into two sections: the España and Sta Mesa sections.

The five-kilometer España section runs from Caloocan Interchange on C3 Road, España Blvd.

The three-kilometer Sta Mesa section, on the other hand, runs from España Blvd. to R. Magsaysay Blvd., all the way to Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Designed to cater to all vehicle classes including trucks, NLEX Connector intends to spur economic progress by significantly improving the travel of motorists especially those in the logistics sector as the new road will shorten the travel time of cargoes.

It is estimated to benefit at least 35,000 vehicles per day and projected to improve the connectivity between airports and seaports.

This will also reduce travel time from NLEX to South Luzon Expressway to 20 minutes from the usual two hours, while Clark to Calamba will just be approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes instead of three hours.

NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).