First section of NLEX Connector project 35% complete

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A portion of the NLEX Connector. Photo from NLEX Corp.
  • Construction of the NLEX Connector’s first 5-kilometer (km) section from Caloocan Interchange to España Interchange is in full swing and has reached Abad Santos Street and Blumentritt in Manila
  • The project is now 35% complete, and bored piling works and concrete casting of columns have started in the Manila area from Solis all the way to Dimasalang
  • The next 3-km elevated section between España Interchange and the vicinity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila is ready for construction by June 2021
  • Once opened, this P23-billion connector road will reduce travel time from NLEX to SLEX from two hours to just 20 minutes to support business activities in Central Luzon and Calabarzon

Construction of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Connector’s first 5-kilometer (km) section between Caloocan and España Interchanges is in full swing, now reaching Abad Santos Street and Blumentritt in Manila.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said the project is now 35% complete, with bored piling works and concrete casting of columns having started in the Manila area from Solis all the way to Dimasalang.

The Department of Public Works and Highways, together with concessionaire NLEX Corp., is also working to speed up the right-of-way delivery within the properties of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

Once completed, the first 5-km section of the NLEX connector will bring commuters directly to the University Belt in Manila.

The elevated expressway section is being constructed inside the PNR tracks between Harbor Link-Caloocan Interchange along C3 Road/5th Avenue and España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila. This section will have on and off ramps on España Interchange and will make NLEX directly accessible from the heart of Manila.

The next 3-km elevated section between España Interchange and the vicinity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila is ready for construction by June 2021.

“We are doing everything we can to accelerate the completion of this high impact expressway that will benefit the motoring public. The entire 8-km NLEX Connector is vital to ensure improved mobility within Metro Manila,” NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista said.

The NLEX Connector uses the new Super T girders to help fast-track construction.

Once opened, this P23-billion connector road will provide better access to Manila Port, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and Clark International Airport, and accommodate around 35,000 motorists daily. It is expected to reduce travel time from NLEX to South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) from two hours to just 20 minutes and to support business activities in the fast-growing Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions.