San Miguel Corp. Wants to Extend TPLEX to Ilocos Province
Road trips going up north have been relatively faster and more comfortable due to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). You can now reach Baguio in as fast as four hours or get to La Union in six. All of this is made possible by the TPLEX. Despite this, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) wants to further extend the TPLEX to reach the Ilocos province. In a report by the Philippine Star, SMC submitted an unsolicited proposal to extend the TPLEX by another 100 kilometers, which would reach the Ilocos province. SMC has reportedly sent its project proposal to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar. The proposal stated that SMC would extend TPLEX after the Rosario, La Union toll plaza. SMC president Ramon Ang has yet to disclose the total cost of the proposed project. He said that SMC is currently finalizing the project cost. Last December 2017, TPLEX opened its Binalonan to Pozorrubio segment in Pangasinan, which is said to reduce travel time to around 45 minutes from Tarlac. The last segment of the TPLEX, which is from Pozorrubio, Pangasinan to Rosario, La Union is set to completed in June 2019.
