The North Luzon Expressway Corporation (NLEX Corp) has announced that the España section of the NLEX Connector may be opened in Q1 of 2022. This is a little bit later than the earlier announcement of Q4 2021.
To recap, NLEX Connector is an elevated expressway that will effectively extend NLEX from Balintawak up to Sta. Mesa in Manila. It will traverse C3 Road in Caloocan City, pass through Abad Santos, Dimasalang, Magsaysay Boulevard, and eventually reach Skyway Stage 3 near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
“The first section of NLEX Connector from Caloocan Interchange to España Boulevard is nearly halfway done,” said DPWH secretary, Mark Villar, during the inspection of the project’s Manila segment. "We are targeting to deliver the full right-of-way (ROW) for this section by next month so we can further accelerate the project.”
To speed up construction, NLEX also said that it tapped technology from our neighboring country, Indonesia, the Sosrobahu, in launching coping beams or pierheads in certain portions of the NLEX Connector as this rotating device enables the construction of expressways above existing roads with minimum disturbance to traffic.
“This technology is highly beneficial since it will ramp up the construction progress and most importantly, minimize traffic jams thus reduce economic losses. Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, we can expect significant progress in the coming months because of this innovative solution,” said NLEX Corp president and GM, Luigi Bautista.
Once completed, the NLEX Connector will have four toll plazas and interchanges in C3 and España. It is expected to serve 35,000 motorists daily and provide better access to Manila Ports and airports such as NAIA and Clark. This will also enable faster transport of goods and services between Metro Manila and Luzon provinces. The project cost (NLEX Corp.) is PHP 23-billion.
