Milestones
Last updated: June 2021
NLEX HARBOR LINK
NLEX Corporation opened June 15, 2020 the NLEX Harbor Link elevated section between the new Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road/5th Avenue and the Navotas Interchange. The opening of the new 2.6 km elevated section will expand the NLEX network to the Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela area and eventually to Mel Lopez Boulevard (formerly R10) in Manila.
With the NLEX Harbor Link, travel time from Port Area to NLEX will be reduced to 10 minutes, significantly benefitting the transport logistics industry as cargo trucks are spared from the truck ban and congestion on local roads.
SUBIC FREEPORT EXPRESSWAY
NLEX Corporation formally opened last February 19, 2021 the newly completed 8.2 km Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) expansion. This P1.6B new expressway project was constructed despite the ongoing COVID pandemic in response to the need to accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods and services between the economic zones in Clark and Subic. NLEX Corp. embarked on the P1.6-billion expansion project to increase the expressway capacity from a single two-way carriageway to a double carriageway with dedicated lanes in each direction. A total of 16.4 new lane kilometers, two new bridges in Jadjad and Argonaut, and a new tunnel were constructed. NLEX Corp. also installed international standard LED lights, raised the elevation of the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and enhanced the area's drainage system.
NLEX Corporation is accelerating the construction of the first five-kilometer section of the NLEX Connector from Caloocan Interchange, C3 to España in Manila as it aims to complete the project by the end of 2021.
DPWH and NLEX officials also witnessed another milestone for the project, the launching of Super T girders were launched — these are that are widely used for bridges in Australia and New Zealand but relatively new.
The NLEX Connector also recently celebrated a construction milestone—the installation of Super T beams that span 30 meters and weigh 53 tons. Relatively new in the Philippine construction industry, Super T beams are innovative, pre-stressed box girders that are more flexible, structurally efficient, and aesthetically appealing. They have open flanges that provide a complete working surface and reduce the need for formworks thus help fast-track the construction of the elevated expressway.
Over 1,400 girders will be used for the entire NLEX Connector project. The structural format of a Super T provides an optimal solution to particular challenges posed by the Connector project, which passes through urbanized areas where the roads are already congested, and the right-of-way is constrained laterally.
Spanning a total of eight kilometers, the full NLEX Connector will be an all-vehicle class elevated expressway that will traverse the C3 Road in Caloocan City, pass through Abad Santos, Blumentritt, Dimasalang, España, Magsaysay Boulevard and eventually connect with the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa in Manila.
The P23-billion NLEX Connector will have four toll plazas and interchanges in C3 and España. It is seen to provide better access to Manila Ports (North Harbor) and airports (NAIA and Clark), and expected to reduce travel time between NLEX and South Luzon Expressway from two hours to just 20 minutes.
The project will also provide trucks with 24/7 alternative route, enabling unhampered delivery of goods and stimulating economic development in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and surrounding areas.
The C5
South Link Project (Segments
2 and 3) is a expressway project approximately
7.70 kilometers long with a 6-lane (2×3) expressway, stretching
from R-1 Expressway (CAVITEX), crossing South Luzon
Expressway,
connecting Circumferential
Road 5 (officially Carlos P.
Garcia Avenue). C5 South Llink costs Php 12.645 Billion to
build. Cavitex Segment 3.1 (Merville to Taguig) was
opened to the public on July 23, 2019 , while Segment 3.2
(Merville to E. Rodriguez) was opened last August 14,
2022.
The Cavite-Laguna Expressway opened the new Subsection 5 last August 2021.
This segment is crucial since it is expected to serve almost 5,000 cars per day, and will ease traffic along Governor's Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road once opened. The completed and operational segments namely Mamplasan to Santa Rosa are currently servicing about 10,000 vehicles daily. CALAX is targeted to finish the whole 45Km stretch and serve 50,000 cars before 2022 ends.
Subsection 5 covers the 7.2-kilometer link from Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange to Silang East Interchange. On-going works include bridge deck and pavement construction, drainage works, road furniture and sound barriers, and structures of Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange.
Upon completion this 24.2B, 4-lane expressway will connect the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at Greenfield (Mamplasan) Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.
CALAX spans 45-kilometers and has eight (8) interchanges beginning at Kawit, Governor's Drive, Open Canal, Silang (Aguinaldo) Highway, Silang East, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, and Laguna Technopark.
As of June 30, 2021, the project's overall Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) progress is at 81.37 percent. Construction alone has reached 80 percent.
The latest project progress was reported by the contractor in today's construction meeting attended by Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) President and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco.
Franco, who conducted an onsite inspection of CCLEX along with other MPTC Head Office executives, said he is happy with the progress of the project despite some delays because of the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also expressed gratitude to the firm's partners in construction as well as government and private sectors for their full collaboration and cooperation for the completion of CCLEX.
Aside from being its first project outside Luzon, the 8.5-kilometer CCLEX will be MPTC's first toll facility that will be fully cashless when it operates, said Franco.
"The CCLEX will have a cashless toll system to give the riding public a convenient and seamless travel by providing this kind of innovative solution," he said.
Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) President and General Manager Allan G. Alfon said that since CCLEX is a modern facility designed to be technology-driven, they are optimistic it can operate efficiently with an all-electronic toll system. He said this can save time for motorists and provide faster traffic flow.
"This is a new mobility experience we are preparing for our fellow Cebuanos," he added.
The P30-billion CCLEX, which will be the third link to Mactan Island from Cordova Municipality to mainland Cebu through Cebu City's South Road Properties, is targeted to be substantially completed by the end of 2021 and to open to motorists in the first quarter of 2022.
Works are now advancing at the main bridge. Its decks are inching closer with only 104 meters left until the 390-meter main span will be connected, while 41 out of the 56 stay cables are now in place.
Girder installations using the launching gantry and plank installations are also being continuously done at the Cebu South Coastal Road on ramp and off ramp sections of the project.
The installation of girders at the Cebu viaduct, on the other hand, is already complete. Succeeding works are now on the installation of the planks for the carriageway or road.
At the Cordova viaduct, girder installation is well underway as well as the embankment works for the causeway. The four low-lying bridges that will serve as access of the Cordova fishermen to their fishing ground is also almost complete.
CCLEX has a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour (kph) and a navigational clearance or height of 51 meters so as to allow large vessels to pass underneath the bridge.
Not only is CCLEX seen to reduce traffic and make traveling more convenient but also spur trade activities and open greater economic opportunities for Cebu and the rest of the Visayas region.
CCLEX is a project of CCLEC, in partnership with the local government units of Cebu City and Municipality of Cordova.
A.P. PETTARANI ELEVATED TOLL ROAD
March 18, 2021 marked the inauguration of A.P. Pettarani Elevated Toll Road, the first elevated toll road in the Eastern part oof Indonesia and South Sulawesi.
HANOI HIGHWAY Phase 1
The government of Vietnam has recently granted the approval to start the toll collection on April 1, 2021. Invested in 2010, the build-operate-transfer project to expand Hanoi Highway was originally scheduled to collect toll fees in 2018. The project will collect charges for the section from the Saigon bridge to the old Tram 2 junction, with a length of 11.5 km.