DPWH: Manila traffic to further ease as portion of NLEX-SLEX Road Link opens
By Chito Chavez
The opening of the first section of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)-South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Connector Road Project will decongest the busy streets of Manila, the stated Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the 5.15 kilometer road runs from from C-3 Road in Caloocan City to Manila.
Specifically, Bonoan pointed out that opening the 5.15 kilometer stretch will dramatically improve the traffic flow along the Manila roads of España Boulevard, Abad Santos Avenue, Rizal Avenue, and Lacson Avenue.
“The newly-opened section will significantly cut travel time between Caloocan and Manila to just five minutes and will cater to cars, buses, trucks and motorcycles with displacement of 400cc and above,” Bonoan explained.
Citing a report from Manila North Tollway Corporation (MNTC), Bonoan bared that the civil works for the NLEX-SLEX Connector’s second and final section is currently at 42 percent which “starts from España Boulevard to Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sta. Mesa, Manila and is 2.75 kilometers in length.’’
When completed, the approximately eight-kilometer, four-lane toll road will serve around 35,000 motorists daily, connecting NLEX and SLEX through C-3 Road in Caloocan City and Skyway Stage 3 in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The P23.2 billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road is a joint implementation project by the Philippine government thru DPWH and MNT) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program.
The project alignment has mostly utilized portions of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) road right-of-way.
On March 27, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial inauguration of the first section of the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project.