New North Luzon Expressway set to open before yearend

The new North Luzon Expressway (NLE) is more than 60 percent completed and motorists can expect to enjoy its full use by the end of the year, it was announced recently.

Jose P. De Jesus, president and chief executive officer of Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC), the company behind the new NLE, said that out of the total 437 lane-kilometers to be constructed or rehabilitated, about 174 lane-kilometers are now in use. The mainline pavement, interchanges and flyovers will be completed by July 2004, while all toll plazas will be completed by August 2004.

De Jesus made the announcement during a recent meeting with the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham) where he was the guest of honor and speaker.

De Jesus stressed that "the new NLE’s pavement has been designed and built to last for 30 years. But it is not just a newly-paved road. It is a world-class and state-of-the-art expressway system which all of us can be proud of – the first and the only one of its kind in the Philippines.

The new NLE will have eight lanes (both ways) of high quality asphalt covered pavevement for the first 23 kilometers; six lanes (both ways) of the same quality road untl Sta. Rita; two lanes (both ways) of the same quality road from Sta. Rita all the way to San Fernando, Angeles and Mabalacat; a brand new interchange in Mexico to defuse the traffic along San Fernando; a brand new interchange with a dedicated flyover to Dau proper to maximize the traffic flow northward and do away with the unsafe traffic light in the middle of the expressway; and a brand new interchange in Marilao, Bulacan to ease the traffic along Macarthur Highway.

In addition, to ensure long term safety, some of the bridges have been widened, and all have been reinforced and strengthened.

The MNTC chief also said that "the toll plazas have been widened to accommodate as much as 16 vehicles at any given time to avoid long waiting time. And there will be lanes dedicated exclusively to electronic card system users.