As commuters and drivers experience worsening traffic conditions, NLEX Corporation is revving up its road construction projects such as the C5-Link and San Fernando to Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) Spur expansion slated for the second quarter of 2024.
The first phase of the NLEX C5-Link will be a two kilometer-road between Mindanao Avenue toll plaza going to Quirino Highway in Novaliches, Quezon City.
According to NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, the link will be integrated in the future NLEX expansion to C5 or C.P. Garcia near Katipunan Avenue.
The expansion for the stretch from NLEX San Fernando to SCTEX Spur will add extra lanes to accommodate a 3x3 layout instead of the existing 2x2 in each direction. Aside from lanes, roadway lighting will be installed in the area as well as the Angeles Interchange.
Moreover, the five kilometer-Candaba 3rd Viaduct is expected to be completed by November this year. Currently at 40 percent completion, the viaduct is situated in the middle of two bridges connecting the towns of Pulilan, Bulacan and Apalit, Pampanga.
The company will also build the Sto. Tomas Interchange, located between San Simon and San Fernando in Pampanga, in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB). The date for construction of this project has yet to be announced.
These major projects are being done not just to address traffic gridlock in key areas, but to also allow easy access or entry to towns in the nearby provinces.
Bautista said that the firm intends to enhance all of its roads and systems this year to improve travel experiences of motorists at NLEX, SCTEX, and NLEX connector. These include upgrading its traffic management systems, installing new radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas, adding speed cameras, and renovating the NLEX traffic control center which monitors traffic flow and deploys patrols at the roads.
Recently, NLEX Corp opened the F. Raymundo Exit in Barangay Pandayan, Meycauayan Northbound that will serve as alternative routes for commuters heading to the east of Meycauayan and Marilao. The new lane at Meycauayan Northbound Exit was also inaugurated a a dedicated lane for Malhacan-bound vehicles.
“We find ways to meet the demands of our motorists regardless of how challenging things are. More than proactiveness, it is important that expressway operators are also willing to go the extra mile to anticipate and deliver the needs of expressway users,” said Bautista.