PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the inauguration ceremony today of the first section of the NLEX Connector, a five-kilometer elevated expressway, expected to improve mobility in Metro Manila and seen to further push more economic development opportunities in north and south Luzon.
Joining the President in the inauguration rites of the Caloocan-España Section were Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. Also present were Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) Chairman Manuel Pangilinan, MPTC President Rodrigo Franco, and NLEX Corporation President J. Luigi Bautista.
Passing through urbanized areas such as C3 Road/5th Ave., Blumentritt, and España in Sampaloc, Manila, the first section of NLEX Connector is expected to ease traffic along España Boulevard, Abad Santos Avenue, Rizal Avenue, and Lacson Avenue and provide easier access to several areas including the University Belt.
It will also help divert vehicles from heavily congested roads of the capital as the new road caters to cars/SUVs, buses, trucks, and even motorcycles with displacement 400cc and above.
It will also be easy for traders from the North such as the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya and Isabela to speed up the transport of goods to Metro Manila.
In his message, the President said that the project indeed another achievement and undoubtedly will significantly improved the mobility of people, of goods and services not only within Metro Manila but also within its environ.
“Today, we are witnessing the inauguration of another milestone of government projects in our national infrastructure agenda. Together with España-Magsaysay Section of this Connector, the Caloocan-España Section will finally connect NLEX with the SLEX. This road project will form an integral part of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network Program which in turn is the component of Philippine high standard highway network. Once completed, this connector shall provide another alternate road to reduce travel time for our motorists (referring from Manila to Caloocan for just five minutes),” Marcos said.
He said that with the opening of said project, it will sustain and accelerate the momentum started by the previous administration in terms of infra development.
“We will continue and complete this project as efficiently as we can, crucial does they are in achieving our national development goals. Under the Built Better More program, we will continue to push for the inter-connectivity of major roads and expressways as well as build even more roads and bridges in strategic places within archipelago,” the President said.
“The NLEX Connector is expected to spur economic development as it eases Metro Manila’s traffic congestion, increases productivity, improves logistics, and boosts communities. We continue to focus on our goal of delivering infrastructure that will facilitate a greater connection between the north and the south,” MPTC Chairman Pangilinan said.
He added that MPTC sees to it that it builds sustainable infrastructure for the future generations, ensuring the company will leave our planet better than it is today. The NLEX Connector reinforces the primary objective of infrastructure development which is to improve the lives of people.
With entry and exit ramps at C3 Road and España, the new elevated expressway will cut travel time between Caloocan and Manila and vice versa to just five minutes, boosting productivity and ensuring timely delivery of goods and services. The improved connectivity will make daily commuting to and from Metro Manila and nearby provinces more efficient and beneficial for the public.
In its entirety, the P23-billion NLEX Connector stretches eight kilometers from Caloocan up to the vicinity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Construction of the second section from España to Sta. Mesa is ongoing and its progress stands at 42 percent. In its full operations, it aims to serve around 35,000 vehicles daily, providing better access to Manila Ports and airports such as NAIA and Clark.
NLEX President Bautista recognized the completion of Caloocan-España Section as “a new chapter in our history as we inaugurate the first section of NLEX Connector, an infrastructure project that transforms the landscape of Metro Manila and celebrates the best of the Filipino spirit. One of which is being indomitable. We rise amidst the hardest trials and most demanding challenges.
“As most of you know, the construction of this expressway started in the middle of the pandemic–along with the lockdowns, social distancing practices, and economic losses. There were many setbacks, but we remained hopeful and implemented the project with courage, grit, and agility,” Bautista said.
He acknowledged the government’s “Build Better More” team, the DPWH, the DOTr, and all the partners for their hard work and incessant support to the project.
The expressway is also vital to the DPWH’s game-changing Luzon Spine Expressway Network Program, which covers 905 kilometers of high standard highways and expressways.
