NLEX Corp. has invested P2.6-B in SCTEX since takeover

The NLEX Corporation said that it has invested around P2.6 billion worth of infrastructure development for the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) alone since the company took over the toll road’s management, operation, and maintenance.

In a statement, the tollway operator noted that the aforementioned expenditure was geared towards safety and convenience of motorists plying the aforementioned thoroughfare. Since the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) awarded the SCTEX concession contract in 2015, the NLEX Corporation has improved SCTEX’s pavement, systems, bridges, slopes, signs, lights, and other assets.

“When the SCTEX was turned over to us, we committed to bring the NLEX brand and extend all its features in SCTEX, so we continuously invest in improving the infrastructure and pursuing innovation to provide efficient service to the motoring public,” NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi Bautista was quoted as saying.

For 2022, the tollway company is repairing and strengthening the Pasig Potrero Bridge and conducting the road raising project at Dinalupihan, which would cost P152 million and P148.5 million, respectively.

Serving as an essential link between Subic and Clark, the 720-meter Pasig-Potrero bridge is being strengthened starting 2020. The NLEX Corporation said that the project is crucial as the bridge is experiencing riverbed degradation resulting in the bridge support piles being exposed. The company added that the sand surrounding the bridge piers have diminished over time “due to quarry operations in the area.”

To protect the structure and improve its serviceability, sheet piles (steel sheets and gabions) are being installed to retain the sand behind the piers, which are part of the permanent solution that the Department of Public Works and Highways will undertake.

Further, the 640-meter portion of Dinalupihan is also being raised to ensure safe passage especially during the rainy season. A new pavement is being placed on top of the existing one and drainage structures are being added to reduce the road’s vulnerability to flooding.

The tollway firm recalled that one of its notable improvements is the integration of the North Luzon Expressway and SCTEX in 2016. Costing P393 million, the project unified toll collection into a single seamless system.

Further, NLEX Corporation said that a three-phase rehabilitation program amounting to P953.9 million was completed in the entire 94-kilometer road that involved asphalt overlay and patching works to make travels safer and more comfortable.

The firm also repaired Porac and Gumain bridges in Pampanga as well as Pinulot, Loakan, and Cui river bridges in Dinalupihan, Bataan for P130.3 million. Improvement of drainages, fences, and guardrails amounting to P47.8 million were also done for motorists.

Modernization upgrades such as establishment of a new traffic control center; installation of closed-circuit television systems, emergency call boxes, and variable message signs; LED lights, as well as reflective delineator posts, and anti-glare panels have been set up, costing to about P184.2 million.

Moreover, the NLEX Corporation added toll lanes in Clark South and Tipo, built new entry and exit toll plazas in Mabiga at a total cost of P399.2 million, including preliminary works for other expansion projects.

Furthermore, around P103 million was spent to equip the toll lanes with RFID, early detection feature, and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system.

Lastly, the BCDA and NLEX Corp. also worked together for the construction of the P88.3 million New Clark City Interchange in time for the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019.

Photos from NLEX Corporation

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Higher NLEX toll rates to be implemented on May 12

NLEX Corporation invests P6.9-B in expressway projects

NLEX-SCTEX roadworks to start this Feb.