President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said his administration will continue developing a highly interconnected road network that will facilitate the country’s inclusive and sustained economic growth.
This as the chief executive called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its partners to finish the project as scheduled for the benefit of the people.
“So we will not stop here, and we will continue to develop a highly interconnected road network that will facilitate our country’s rapid, inclusive, and sustained economic growth,” President Marcos said during the inauguration of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Connector Caloocan- España section.
The latest NLEX connector will pass through the cities of Caloocan and Manila, with the Caloocan Interchange Connector Road in Balintawak, Caloocan City and the España Interchange Connector Road in Manila.
The high-impact infrastructure improvements, visible and directly felt by the people, will be a credible proof that their government is indeed effectively and tirelessly working for them, the President pointed out.
Highlighting the synergy between the public and the private sector, President Marcos also called on the DOTr and private contractor NLEX Corp. to work closely with their partners in accomplishing the government’s objectives in improving the country’s road infrastructure.
“Try very hard, as we all do, to stay within the target time frame – although your success rate in this regard is exemplary – avoid unnecessary delays, and finish the project as scheduled, so that the Filipino people will be able to reap the benefits as soon as possible,” the President pointed out.
“Ultimately, the positive effects of this project will speed up mobility and transactions, and will spur economic productivity of the country,” President Marcos noted.
Under the “Build, Better, More” development agenda of the Marcos administration, the President vowed to continue pushing for the interconnectivity of major roads and expressways, as well as build even more roads and bridges in strategic places within the archipelago.
According to the chief executive, the newly constructed Caloocan-España Section of the NLEX Connector, together with the Espana-Magsaysay Section of the connector, will finally connect the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) with the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
The road project, with a total cost of Php23.3 billion, including right-of-way (ROW) acquisition costs, will form an integral part of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, which will be a component of the Philippine High Standard Highway Network.
Once completed, the eight-kilometer, four-lane (two lanes each direction), all-elevated toll expressway NLEX Connector project shall provide another alternate route that will reduce travel time for motorists.
It will also contribute to the ease of movement of cargo and goods from north to south and vice versa, especially those coming from the Port of Manila, providing great relief to the logistics sector being an alternative route for truckers.
As of March 23, the NLEX Connector Section 1 has been completed while the Section 2 was 42 percent accomplished and is targeted to be completed by June 2023, provided that the ROW for the section is delivered to the contractor by the end of March.
Once completed, the project built through public-private partnership (PPP),
will reduce the travel time from SLEX-Alabang to NLEX-Balintawak from two hours to 20 minutes and will benefit 35,000 motorists daily.
“This is indeed another achievement and undoubtedly will significantly improve the mobility of people, of goods, and of services not only within Metro Manila but also within its environs,” the President said.
President Marcos also acknowledged the efforts of the DOTr and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), thanking the NLEX Corp. and the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. for completing the project. #
