The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and NLEX Corporation are fast-tracking the construction of the first 5-kilometers of the elevated expressway that will soon connect the 56-year-old expressway to the heart of Manila via España Boulevard. The DPWH and NLEX Corporation hopes to open this segment to motorists before the year ends.
“Right-of-way delivery for the whole alignment stands at 81%, while construction progress is at 16%. With the commitment of both the public and private sectors, we are optimistic that we can finish the project as scheduled,” said DPWH secretary, Mark Villar.
This toll road is envisioned to connect Harbor Link and Skyway and ease travel for motorists and truckers that need to get from the Port of Manila to the south of the metro, and vice versa.
It will traverse the 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.
This five-kilometer, four-lane elevated toll road will have four toll plazas, along with interchanges in C3 and Espana.
DPWH and NLEX officials were present for a milestone of the project: the launching of Super T girders, which are innovative, pre-fabricated and pre-stressed box girders that are widely used for bridges in Australia and New Zealand but relatively new in the Philippine construction industry.
The newly installed Super T beams span 30 meters and weigh 53 tons each. Compared to other types of girders, Super T beams are more flexible, structurally efficient, and aesthetically appealing. They have open flanges that provide a complete working surface and reduce the need for formworks, thus, help fast-track the construction of the elevated expressway.
“Innovation is one of the core values of our company. We are using Super T beams to advance our construction progress so we can soon complete this crucial infrastructure that would help decongest Metro Manila and solve truck ban woes,” said NLEX Corporation president and general manager, Luigi Bautista.
Over 1,400 girders will be used for the entire Connector project. The structural format of a Super T provides an optimal solution to particular challenges posed by the Connector project, which passes through urbanized areas where the roads are already congested, and the right-of-way is constrained laterally.
