Parts of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) will soon undergo a P2.6-billion road widening project in anticipation of rising traffic along the key 93-kilometer thoroughfare north of Metro Manila.
Tollway operator Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) said it will start the widening of Segments 2 and 3 this month to accommodate the growing number of vehicles using NLEX.
“Traffic volume increases every year, so we need to build additional lanes in certain portions of the expressway in order to maintain the high quality service we provide motorists,” MNTC president and chief executive officer Rodrigo E. Franco said in a statement.
MNTC, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., is the builder and concessionaire of NLEX.
Based on MNTC data, vehicle entries on NLEX rose to more than 218,000 last year from almost 200,000 in 2014.
The road-widening project will expand the two-lane portion of NLEX between Sta. Rita and San Fernando to three lanes on both the northbound and southbound sides, while the one-lane stretch between Dau and Sta. Ines will be expanded to two lanes on both sides.
“These are where queues of vehicles usually form especially during holidays when many motorists from Metro Manila leave the metropolis for destinations in Central and Northern Luzon,” Franco pointed out.
He added that aside from making travel on NLEX more comfortable for motorists, the project will also benefit merchants who use the expressway to transport goods.
“Transport of products to and from the provinces will be faster and more efficient once NLEX is expanded,” he said.
The MNTC president also assured motorists that despite the road expansion works, traffic on the expressway will remain smooth since there will be no lane closures.
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