QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH) is targeting to open the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to España Boulevard in Manila City with the completion of the Section 1 of NLEX-SLEX Connector Road before the Holy Week.

This, after DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and  Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, together with NLEX Corporation President and General Manager Jose Luigi L. Bautista and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation President Rodrigo Franco, inspected on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 the first 5.15-kilometer section of the four (4) lane NLEX-SLEX Connector Road extending from the end of NLEX Segment 10 in C3 Road, Caloocan City to the España Interchange along España Boulevard in Manila City.

“We are targeting to open the España Section before Holy Week to help decongest vehicular traffic in Metro Manila especially to and from the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela (Camanava) area,” Bonoan said.

When completed, the four (4) lane NLEX-SLEX Connector Road will connect NLEX Segment 10 to the end of Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, greatly reducing travel time from SLEX-Alabang to NLEX-Balintawak from two (2) hours to just 20 minutes.

The P23.2-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road is a joint implementation project by the Philippine Government thru DPWH and Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program.

The project alignment has mostly utilized portions of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) road right-of-way.

“Construction of the second section stretching from España Boulevard to Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Sta Mesa is being fast-track to provide trucks with an alternative route from the ports to the south and improve connectivity between Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Clark International Airport,” Bonoan added.

Also present during the inspection were DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, DOTr Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra, DPWH PPP Service OIC Director Pelita V. Galvez, DPWH Planning Service Director Alex G. Bote, Toll Regulatory Board Executive Director Alvin Carullo, DMCI President and CEO Jorge A. Consunji, and officials and representatives of MPTC and NLEX Corporation. (dpwh/pia-ncr)