NLEX Harbor Link opens to improve traffic and flow of commerce
Photo Credit: Mark Villar Facebook Page
MANILA, Philippines – Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar led the opening of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Project in Caloocan today.
Also present at the opening were Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) President and CEO Rodrigo Franco and NLEX Corporation President and General Manager Luigi Bautista.
The NLEX harbor link is a new 2.6 kilometer (km) elevated section between the New Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road, and the New Navotas Interchange.
This project is part of the Build, Build, Build program of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration and it aims to expand the NLEX network to the Caloocan, Navotas, Malabon and Valenzuela City (CAMANAVA) area and to Mel Lopez Boulevard (formerly known as R10) in Manila.
“This will be an alternative route between Quezon City and Manila. From the Mindanao Toll Plaza, motorists may now reach the Port Area in Manila in about 15 to 20 minutes,” Villar said.
The DPWH said the elevated expressway is expected to help around 30,000 vehicles per day and will improve the traffic situation of the country by 40-60%.
“We expect to speed up transport of goods as well as increased economic activities in Metro Manila and North and Central Luzon regions,” Bautista said.
The project also aims to help cargo trucks that are struggling in traffic-congested areas such as Quezon Avenue, EDSA, and Manila by giving them all-day access to NLEX, where no truck ban is imposed. This is expected to eventually help the flow of commerce in the country.
“We worked overtime to deliver this piece of infrastructure that our metropolis needs not only to improve driving experience but also to hasten economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Franco added.
No additional toll will be imposed at the NLEX Harbor Link for now.