NLEX Corp. announced on Wednesday that the Caloocan-España segment of its connector road project is now more than 90% complete and can be opened to motorists in December this year.
“This project augurs well for the transport industry as we expect trucks to have an easier access to trading centers in Central and Northern Luzon without having to squeeze through congested roads in Metro Manila,” NLEX President and General Manager Jose Luigi L. Bautista said at the first Transport Con forum in Pasay City.
“The first of two sections (that is, from Caloocan to España) is more than 90% complete and can be opened by next month,” he added.
The P23.3-billion eight-kilometer connector road project, on which construction started in May 2019, is an all-elevated four-lane toll expressway extending NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 in C-3 Road, Caloocan City to Sta. Mesa, Manila, and connecting to the Skyway Stage 3, mostly along the route of the Philippine National Railways rail line.
When completed, the project is expected to cut travel time from South Luzon Expressway to NLEX from two hours to 20 minutes and reduce travel time from Clark to Calamba from about three hours to one hour and 40 minutes.
The project is expected to benefit at least 35,000 motorists or vehicles per day and improve connectivity between Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark airports.
NLEX Corp. said its NLEX Transport Con is “envisioned to be institutionalized as an annual event with the aim of tackling business continuity challenges, growth opportunities, and emerging trends relevant and beneficial to the transport sector.”
NLEX Corp. is part of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).
MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin