Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) is allotting P3.9 billion for several enhancement works on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to be carried out this year until 2018.
“Prior to the integration of NLEX and SCTEX last month, we have lined up a lot of enhancement works for both roads, putting priority on the convenience and safety of our motorists,” MNTC president Rodrigo Franco said in a statement.
Last March, MNTC finished the integration of the two expressways and toll collection systems into one.
MNTC said the enhancement works to be done simultaneously include road widening, pavement maintenance, and toll plaza expansion.
The P2.6-billion road widening of Segments 2 and 3 of NLEX started in March and is designed to accommodate the growing number of vehicles plying the tollway.
The project will expand the existing two-lane portion of NLEX between Sta. Rita and San Fernando in Pampanga to three lanes on both northbound and southbound sides, while the current one-lane stretch between Dau and Sta. Ines in the same province will be expanded to two lanes on both sides.
MNTC is also investing P1 billion from 2016 to 2018 on pavement improvement of the entire 94-kilometer stretch of SCTEX.
For 2016, pavement upgrade works costing P350 million will include asphalt overlay and road patching from Porac in Pampanga to Concepcion in Tarlac, while the 2017 upgrade involves pavement repairs from Porac to Floridablanca and from Concepcion to San Miguel in Tarlac.
In 2018, pavement development will be undertaken from Floridablanca to Tipo and from San Miguel to La Paz.
According to Franco, the upgrade of SCTEX’s pavement is part of the company’s efforts to extend the “NLEX Brand of Service” to SCTEX and make its pavement as smooth as NLEX’s.
While the pavement upgrade of SCTEX has just recently started, the heavy maintenance program for NLEX is now halfway complete. The P113-million maintenance project focuses on road patching of some northbound and southbound portions of NLEX from Valenzuela to Sta. Ines.
Also ongoing is the expansion of the NLEX Bocaue Toll Barrier from 25 toll lanes to 33 toll lanes to enhance mobility of motorists using the Bocaue southbound toll plaza. The additional eight mixed lanes are being built at a cost of P206 million.
The project, which is set to be completed this year, involves building an eight-lane skewed toll plaza on the southbound portion of NLEX Bocaue. Four pass-through lanes on the left side of the existing Bocaue Toll Barrier will be made to lead motorists to the new toll plaza.
“With all these enhancements in place, we are hoping to provide a more comfortable travel as well as raise the level of satisfaction of motorists plying our expressways,” Franco explained.
Image courtesy of mapichai at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
