CEBU CITY – Starting July 1, higher toll will be collected from vehicles using the 8.9-kilometer Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).

The Local Toll Regulatory Council (LTRC) has authorized the collection of adjusted toll but to cushion the effects on motorists, the management of the expressway will implement the toll increase in phases with a provisional discounted rate to be implemented on July 1.

The full LTRC-approved amount will be implemented in a later date.

The implementation of the adjusted rates is part of CCLEX’s staggered toll adjustments every two years provided for under the concession agreement entered and signed into by the Cebu City government, Cordova municipal government, and Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC) for the implementation of the CCLEX project.

This is also part of the program to recover the additional cost incurred during the construction of the CCLEX at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and typhoon Odette, which impacted the completion time of the project.

“We are grateful to our valued motorists for their patronage since we started operating, and who continue to make CCLEX their preferred route. We understand that any toll changes can raise concerns, and we assure you that we are steadfast in our commitment to continuously enhance our services to provide you safe, seamless, and reliable travel experience,” said CCLEC President and General Manager Allan G. Alfon.

The LTRC was created by the local governments of Cebu City and Cordova through an ordinance to implement and set toll rates for the expressway.

LTRC’s newly approved toll matrix for CCLEX are P68 for Class 1M vehicles or motorcycles with engine displacements 110cc to 399 cc; P107 for Class 1 vehicles (motorcycles 400cc and up) and vehicles with two or three axles with a height of up to seven feet such as cars, jeeps, pickups, and small vans; P214 for Class 2 vehicles or those with two or three axles and a height of more than seven feet such as light trucks, buses, and high-roof vans; and P321 for Class 3 vehicles or rigid trucks with three or more axles and a height of more than seven feet such as heavy and multi-axles trucks, and trailers (articulated).

To make the transition easier for motorists, the discounted rate that will be implemented are P65 for Class 1M vehicles; P100 for Class 1 vehicles; P200 for Class 2 vehicles; and P300 for Class 3 vehicles.

In a statement, the management said that since its opening in April 2022, CCLEX has significantly improved the travel experience of millions of road users by hugely cutting the travel time between Cebu City to Mactan Island by 20 to 75 percent.

Prior to the opening of the CCLEX, the travel time from Cebu City to Cordova or Lapu-Lapu City averaged at 82 to 85 minutes per study made by the Center for Social Research and Education of the University of San Carlos.