Completion of 3 Luzon expressway projects eyed this year: DPWH

FILE: DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan (Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday said three major projects under the Luzon Spine Expressway Network (LSEN) Program are set to be completed this year.

During the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 – 2028 Forum held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said these are the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, Cavite-Laguna Expressway and Central Luzon Link Expressway, Phase I.

Of the soon-to-be-completed undertakings, the PHP14.94-billion Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase I is set to be finished in March as the project is 97 percent complete.

Once the 30-kilometer, four-lane expressway from Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija is completed, the travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City will be reduced from 70 minutes to 20 minutes and is projected to benefit around 11,200 motorists per day.

The whole project was funded under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) amounting to PHP249 billion. The construction started in March 2016.

On the other hand, the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road worth PHP12.20 billion funded under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program target completion is December 2023.

He said civil works is 69 percent complete, the right of way (ROW) acquisition is 94 percent complete while Section 1 (Caloocan – Espana) is targeted to be completed in April 2023.

The project is an eight-kilometer, four-lane elevated expressway extending the NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3 Road, Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila and connecting to the Skyway Stage 3, and mostly traversing along the PNR rail track.

Upon completion, the travel time from SLEX to NLEX will be reduced from 2 hours to just 20 minutes. It is projected to benefit 35,000 motorists per day.

The construction of the project began in May 2019.

Another project that is set to be finished before the end of the year is the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, a 44.58-kilometer expressway connecting the CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite province and SLEX- Mamplasan interchange in Biñan City, Laguna province.

The project’s civil works is 59 percent complete while the ROW acquisition for the Laguna and Cavite side are at 99.8 percent and 65.07 percent completed, respectively. It started construction in July 2017.

Bonoan added that the PHP35.74-billion project is also funded via the PPP.

Upon its completion, it will reduce travel time between CAVITEX and SLEX from 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 45 minutes, and spur economic growth in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna.

The LSEN program involves the construction of 1,213 kilometers of expressways/high standard highways in Luzon.

Once these projects are completed, the travel time between Ilocos region and Bicol region will be reduced from 20 hours to just nine hours.