The Sison-Rosario segment of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) has been formally opened on December 23.
The 4-kilometer (km) segment is expected to cut travel time to Baguio City by up to 30 minutes as well as ease the traffic bottleneck along Manila North Road towards Kennon Road.
“Considering that Baguio is a go-to holiday destination, we opened the segment to provide ease to our tourists who want to experience the beauty of the City of Pines. While significantly cutting their travel time, we also want to ensure that the expressway is in its utmost quality for their safety,” Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.
Following the opening, traversing the Sison-Rosario segment of the expressway will be initially free of charge for passing motorists.
TPLEX is a 78.39-km expressway that connects the provinces of Tarlac and Pangasinan and reduces travel time from Tarlac to Rosario, La Union from 3.5 hours to just an hour, benefitting an average of 20,000 vehicles per day.