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The National Economic and Development Authority Board Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., approved the extension of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway
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The 59.4-kilometer, four-lane extension highway with an estimated project cost of P23.4 billion will start from the last exit of TPLEX in Rosario, La Union and will terminate at San Juan, La Union
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The project is expected to stimulate economic activity, alleviate road congestion, provide better and safer road access, and promote the development of new growth centers in nearby regions
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The TPLEX Extension Project will be implemented through a public-private partnership under the Department of Public Works and Highways
The Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) extension has been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
“In accordance with the Investment Coordination Committee guidelines, this is the fastest unsolicited proposal approval, from its submission on March 17, 2023 to the approval today, June 2, 2023,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement.
The 59.4-kilometer, four-lane extension highway with an estimated project cost of P23.4 billion will connect the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila. It will start from the last exit of TPLEX in Rosario, La Union and will terminate at San Juan, La Union.
The project is expected to stimulate economic activity, alleviate road congestion, provide better and safer road access, and promote the development of new growth centers in nearby regions.
The TPLEX Extension Project will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
DPWH in 2018 has granted San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) the original proponent status for its unsolicited proposal to extend TPLEX to San Juan, La Union.
With the approval of the NEDA Board, Balisacan said the next step is for the negotiation with the proponent, then a Swiss challenge to allow other interested firms to challenge and make a better offer.
He said the plan is to complete the project within the term of the current administration.
TPLEX is a 78.39-km expressway that connects the provinces of Tarlac and Pangasinan and reduces travel time from Tarlac to Rosario, La Union from 3.5 hours to just an hour, benefitting an average of 20,000 vehicles per day.
TPLEX is a P24-billion public-private partnership project of the DPWH and San Miguel Corp.’s SMC TPLEX Corp. (formerly Private Infra Development Corporation) and began construction in 2010. It officially opened in July 2020 after the completion of its final section.
