THE new projects of the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) in the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex), which include 64 new-lane kilometers in Bulacan and Pampanga, are envisioned to support the government’s big-ticket infrastructure projects that include building of roads, bridges and railways and the improvement of airports to spur development and ease traffic congestion in the country.
The mantra of the administration’s planned infrastructure program is “build, build, build”—with the government eyeing to spend P8 trillion for infrastructure projects in the next five years to move the country forward and improve the lives of the Filipino people by generating investments, creating jobs and lowering prices of commodities.
This particular battle cry of the government is something that the MNTC, concessionaire of the Nlex, strongly believes in, as it recently announced that the P2.6-billion new expressway lanes project will help improve travel convenience and promote growth of local businesses in the Central Luzon region.
When finished, the expressway road capacity of the stretch from Santa Rita in Bulacan to San Fernando in Pampanga will be expanded from the existing 2×2 lanes to 3×3 lanes in each direction, giving motorists a faster, more seamless travel.
The new projects also include the construction of new expressway lanes on both sides of the 5-km-long Candaba Viaduct. When completed, the road capacity of the Candaba Viaduct will be expanded for the first time since it was constructed in the ’70s.
MNTC also built a new 2×2, 4-km expressway in the Mabalacat City portion of the Nlex, including two new bridges. This new project, which was completed in October last year, will henceforth segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways and promote road safety.
MNTC is awaiting government approvals, through the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), before the new expressway lanes are opened to the motoring public.
“The new expressway projects support the government’s mission to boost socioeconomic growth with infrastructures that facilitate more efficient and faster transport of good and services within Central Luzon, MNTC President and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco said, adding that “once inaugurated, the new expressway lanes will not only provide faster, safer and more convenient travel to motorists, but will also decongest traffic in the urban areas.”
MNTC had also installed 800 expressway-standard LED road lighting between the Balagtas section all the way to San Fernando City. It will also light up an additional 33 km along the Nlex to improve safety of motorists.
The tollways firm cited that the opening of the new expressway lanes will provide motorists with easier access to the Clark International Airport and the Clark Green City, the 9,450-hectare development project located within the Clark Special Economic Zone in Tarlac.
The expressway is now 55-percent complete and is expected to be operational by the end of 2017. The P10.5-billion project connecting Segment 9 begins at MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela, passes through Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon, and ends at C-3 Road in Caloocan City.
Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar led on Wednesday the ocular inspection of the construction of the Nlex Harbor Link. He was joined by MNTC President and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco; Romulo S. Quimbo Jr., head of the legal and regulatory affairs of Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp.; and Francis Gerard E. Aberilla, the vice president of traffic operation of Tollways Management Corp.
Franco said this project will provide seamless connection between the North Harbor and Central Luzon provinces through the Nlex. He said it consists of two segments, such as 2.42-km Segment 9 and 5.76-km, four-lane divided elevated expressway Segment 10. He said Segment 9 was opened in March 2015, while the construction of the Segment 10 was started on May 22, 2014, expected to be done by December this year.
He said an exit ramp to R-10 will eventually be built to connect Segment 10 with the port area. He said they already invested P2.7 billion for Segment 9; P10.5 billion for Segment 10; and another P6 billion is still awaiting Transportation Research Board (TRB) approval for the extension road to R10 that is more or less 19 billion for construction alone and the government also spent approximately P7 billion for the right-of-way. He said the R-10 exit ramp is a 2.6-km, four-lane divided elevated expressway extension from C-3 Road to Radial Road 10 in the area of Caloocan and Navotas, which costs P6 billion. He said the construction of this project is expected to start by the first quarter and to be finished by the fourth quarter of the year.
Franco said it will decongest Metro Manila as it provides alternative access to mainline Nlex, bypassing Edsa and the Balintawak Toll Plaza, shorten travel distance by establishing direct routes between the North Luzon, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela City (Camanava) and Northern Manila areas; cut travel time by almost half, as it allows an average speed of 80 kilometer per hour; improve movement of cargo; more trips for trucks because there will be no more truck ban; lower incidence of road accidents due to better road pavement; and tighter traffic management which will increase travel convenience.
He said this project will spur economic activities in the Camanava area and increase land values; improve transport logistics with more efficient movement of trucks in and out of the ports located in Manila; stimulate commerce between port area, Central and Northern Luzon; and generates about 10,000 jobs during the construction period.
He said they are doing their best to finish this project to minimize the traffic problems and to give better service to their customers. He also said that there is an investment recovery proposal that will be discussed with the TRB.
Franco said about 3,000 families are affected by this project who need to be relocated to Valenzuela and Caloocan sites. He said the relocation is to be funded by the DPWH. He said 2,500 settler families remain who need to be also relocated.
Villar said they are currently working on the creation of a DPWH task force to speed up the construction and to handle the right-of-way issues. He said the task force will be composed of legal team, the Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, regional offices and among others. He said 35 percent, or approximately 700 meter, located in McArthur to Karuhatan River to Karuhatan, is the remaining right-of-way, which is still under negotiation. He said support must be given to this project because it could help to decongest the Metro Manila traffic.
With Catherine Joy Maglalang