The Manila Times

NLEx Connector inaugurated

TMT WITH A REPORT FROM PNA

NLEX Corp. on Monday inaugurated the first section of the P23-billion North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Connector, a five-kilometer elevated expressway that is expected to improve mobility in Metro Manila.

“The NLEx Connector is expected to spur economic development as it eases Metro Manila’s traffic congestion, increases productivity, improves logistics, and boosts communities,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of NLEX Corp. parent firm Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

“We continue to focus on our goal of delivering infrastructure that will facilitate a greater connection between the north and the south,” he added.

The completed section, which runs from C3 Road in Caloocan to España Boulevard in Manila, is expected to provide easier access to areas including the University Belt by diverting vehicles from heavily congested roads.

No details were released as to how much motorists would have to pay to use the tollway. The government had promised to open the first section before Holy Week.

Meanwhile, construction of the second section from España to Sta. Mesa is ongoing and is at 42 percent. It is targeted to be completed by June 2023 provided that the right-of-way for the section is delivered by the end of this month.

Once fully operational the NLEx

Connector will stretch for eight kilometers from Caloocan up to the vicinity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

It is expected to serve around 35,000 vehicles daily, providing better access to Manila’s seaports and airports such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport.

NLEX President Luigi Bautista noted that construction of the expressway “started in the middle of the pandemic — along with the lockdowns, social distancing practices, and economic losses.”

“There were many setbacks, but we remained hopeful and implemented the project with courage, grit, and agility,” he added.

He acknowledged the government’s Build Better More team, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Transportation (DoTr), and other partners for their hard work and support for the project.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was present at the inauguration, said that “under the Build, Better More program, we will continue to push for the interconnectivity of major roads and expressways as well as build even more roads and bridges in strategic places within the archipelago.”

He thanked the concerned government agencies and the private sector for having made the project possible.

“Thank you to the NLEX Corporation and the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation for completing this part of

this project. We certainly need to recognize as well your continued efforts in improving our country’s infrastructure systems…” Marcos said.

“I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our officials and employees in the DoTr and the DPWH and all its attached agencies who have played a very important and crucial role in the success of this project. Let us keep up the good work.”

The government, Marcos said, will continue to develop a “highly interconnected road network” that will facilitate the country’s rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth.

The NLEx Connector will be an integral part of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, which will be a component of the Philippine High Standard Highway Network.

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2023-03-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281878712627720

The Manila Times