-
NLEX Corporation will start construction this year of a two-kilometer expressway section between the Mindanao Avenue toll plaza and Quirino Highway in Novaliches
-
Other 2022 projects are the completion of the NLEX Connector and construction of the third bridge at Candaba Viaduct
-
The elevated 8-kilometer NLEX Connector will provide the logistics sector with a more efficient route, bypassing busy roads such as EDSA and C5
NLEX Corporation will construct a two-kilometer expressway section between the Mindanao Avenue toll plaza and Quirino Highway in Novaliches and complete the NLEX Connector this year, the company said in a statement.
Also in the pipeline is the construction of the third bridge at Candaba Viaduct that will expand its capacity from three lanes to four lanes per direction, enhancing the mobility and safety of motorists.
The expressway section in Quezon City is part of the 11.5-kilometer NLEX C5 Link between Mindanao Avenue, Quirino Highway, Regalado Avenue, Congressional Avenue and C.P. Garcia Avenue in Quezon City aimed at cutting travel time between Mindanao Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue to 10 minutes instead of the usual 45 minutes.
Targeted for completion within the year is the 8-kilometer NLEX Connector that passes through 5th Avenue/C3 Road, España Blvd. all the way to Sta. Mesa, Manila. The elevated expressway will provide the logistics sector with a more efficient route, bypassing busy roads such as EDSA and C5.
For 2021, the tollway company completed 12 projects in NLEX-SCTEX, NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista said.
Among these were the expansion of Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX), upgrade of link slabs at Candaba Viaduct Southbound, and the rehabilitation of Meycauayan and Bigaa bridges in Bulacan.
A total of 16.4 new lane kilometers, two new bridges, and a new tunnel were constructed in SFEX to accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods and services between the economic zones in Clark and Subic. At the southbound portion of the Candaba Viaduct, more than 10 bridge link slabs were replaced with a pot bearing system to restore the driving comfort of motorists.
The tollway company also completed the replacement of girders and slabs of the 45-meter Meycauayan bridge and the 64-meter Bigaa bridge to strengthen the structures as these were built in the 1960s.
Over 1,300 roadway lights from Balagtas, Bulacan to San Fernando City, Pampanga, a stretch of 33 kilometers, were replaced with brighter lights to make it easier for drivers to safely traverse the road at night.
In its regular program to keep the expressway network safe and in good condition, NLEX completed the asphalt overlay and patching works in 109,886-square meter section of the NLEX and 31,600-square meter section of the SCTEX. The Porac bridge in Porac, Pampanga and Gumain bridge in Floridablanca, Pampanga have undergone repairs for safer and smoother driving experience.
To ensure safe passage especially during the rainy season, drainage enhancements were done along the NLEX Harbor Link, Valenzuela northbound, and Balintawak southbound. Concrete-made drainage covers in these areas were replaced with more durable steel grating. Customer service centers also got a makeover with new backlit signages.
In 2021, NLEX also finished some upgrades in its toll collection system. It completed the installation of RFID early detection features in 56 toll lanes increasing the total number of toll lanes with advanced reading feature to 188. With this project, the enhanced RFID scanners can detect up to three vehicles in advance for quick processing of toll lane transactions.
The company also equipped the Balintawak, Mindanao, Karuhatan, Paso de Blas, and Tarlac toll plazas with automatic license plate recognition system, which is being used to match RFID transactions, improve safety, and enforce traffic laws.
NLEX Corporation is a unit of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
