Here's more good news for northbound motorists, as learned by House Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr.

NLEX Corp., the operator of North Luzon Expressway, has announced plans to build a diamond-type interchange in the Mexico-San Fernando City section of the highway in Pampanga.

Company officials made the revelation in an inter-agency consultative meeting presided over by Gonzales last week.

The veteran lawmaker, in a statement, welcomed the NLEX operator’s plan, saying the envisioned complete interchange would decongest vehicular traffic on both the eastern and western parts of the highway, especially the San Fernando City side, including the old MacArthur Highway.

“It will hasten access to the expressway by thousands of motorists and cargo truck drivers coming from San Fernando, Angeles and Bacolor who currently are using the Mexico entry/exit,” he said.

“They would not have to cross the highway through a bridge to access the present toll plaza on the eastern side if a diamond interchange that includes a separate toll station on the San Fernando side built,” Gonzales explained.

According to NLEX Corp., the plan is to expand the existing Mexico exit/entry toll plaza, which is located on the eastern part of the expressway, into a “full diamond interchange” that would have a separate toll station on the San Fernando City or western side.

They said they would also interconnect the interchange to the Aquino byway extension that would link Mexico and San Fernando.

The byway extension is a convergence road project of the deputy speaker's.

NLEX Corp. officials also announced that they would start next year the road-widening aimed at adding two lanes on both the northbound and southbound sections of the expressway, from San Fernando City to Mabalacat town.