Heavier Expressways Traffic Looms on Holy Wednesday, Thursday

Motorists are advised to plan their trips to the provinces early to avoid heavy traffic as the volume of vehicles is expected to surge on Wednesday until the morning of Maundy Thursday in expressways due to the Holy Week break.

"We expect heavy traffic volume tomorrow afternoon. Most of our countrymen go to the provinces starting afternoon of Holy Wednesday until Maundy Thursday morning," Robin Ignacio, traffic management and safety head of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), said in a radio interview yesterday, on Holy Tuesday.

"We are projecting that traffic volume will increase by 10 percent," he added.

The NLEX Corporation, which is in charge of the operations and maintenance of NLEX and SCTEX, is implementing a motorist assistance program during the Holy Week.

Around 700 tellers and patrol officers were deployed at the NLEX and SCTEX to enhance traffic management and toll collection services.

NLEX and SCTEX traffic management teams are adopting extended working hours from April 15 to 22 to monitor and manage the expected high volume of vehicles in Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Bocaue, Tarlac, San Miguel, and Tipo toll plazas.

Meanwhile, the management of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) reminded motorists to observe the speed limit being implemented along the expressway.

"We have speed cameras that will monitor the motorists. We have one of the highest incidents of over-speeding reported to the LTO because we are strict on implementing this," SLEX spokesperson Tony Reyes said.

Both the NLEX and SLEX are implementing speed limits of 100 kilometers per hour (kph) for cars and other light vehicles, and 80 kph for trucks and buses.

The SMC Tollways, the operator of SLEX, Skyway, NAIA Expressway and STAR Tollway, is implementing enhanced traffic management measures. In areas where heavy volume of vehicles is expected, there will be additional ambulant tellers and traffic-patrol teams.

Temporary toll collection booths will also be installed to speed up the transaction time at the toll plazas.