NLEX Corporation starts the construction of the three-kilometer NLEX Connector Sta. Mesa Section with the ongoing bored piling or foundation works along Antipolo Street, Sampaloc, Manila.
This is part of the entire eight-kilometer NLEX Connector that extends the NLEX southward from Caloocan Interchange on C3 road, traverses España Blvd., R. Magsaysay Blvd., and connects to the Skyway Stage 3 near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
“Progress of the NLEX Connector Sta. Mesa Section will be more visible now as we start laying the foundation for this segment. The bored piles are crucial in providing a sturdy base for our elevated expressway project,” said NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, highlighting that “the construction activities will be systematically and precisely undertaken to ensure safety on all fronts.”
For this section, a total of 72 piers will be built to support the elevated, four-lane expressway which will mostly run above the Philippine National Railways (PNR) lines. It will co-exist with the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) North-South railway project and will have two interchanges in España and R. Magsaysay.
NLEX Corporation and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are working together to complete this vital infrastructure project which will help decongest Metro Manila traffic and improve connectivity between seaports in Manila and airports in NAIA and Clark.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held last December with officials from NLEX Corporation, DPWH, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), PNR in attendance. In the same event, DPWH Secretary Roger Mercado committed to “provide the necessary right-of-way for the project as we target to complete this segment by end of 2022.”
Catering to all vehicle classes, this will provide trucks with 24/7 alternative route, resolving truck ban woes and enabling unimpeded delivery of goods and services.
Upon completion by yearend, NLEX Connector is expected to accommodate around 35,000 motorists daily and is seen to reduce travel time from NLEX to South Luzon Expressway to 20 minutes from the usual two hours, while Clark to Calamba will just be approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes instead of three hours.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
