NLEX, SCTEX brace for Undas heavy traffic

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) yesterday assured motorists that smooth traffic would be maintained at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) when travel to and from the provinces peak for the traditional Undas exodus.

MPTC president and chief executive officer (CEO) Ramoncito Fernandez said their operating arm, Tollways Management Corp. (TMC), “will be in a better position this year to address the influx of motorists before and after Undas.”

Fernandez said appropriate measures have been in place to ensure that traffic remains manageable even at the height of the exodus including the full implementation of the NLEX’s Automatic Vehicle Locator System (AVLS). The AVLS is a program that tracks down the exact position of traffic patrol vehicles in real time. It will come in handy in determining which vehicle can come to the rescue of motorists in need in the shortest time possible.

As usual, out-bound traffic is expected to build up by at least 10 percent in the run-up to Undas and by about the same volume during the post-Halloween rush back to Metro Manila.

To cope with the expected swell in the number of northbound vehicles, the NLEX will beef up its field force at the major toll plazas, specifically in Balintawak, Caloocan city; Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga, and in Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City on Oct. 28-30.

Ambulant tellers and temporary toll booths would be deployed in these areas, along with counterflow measures to ensure speedy passage of vehicles.

The same scheme would be adopted on Nov. 1-3 for the benefit of southbound vehicles returning home after spending All Saint’s Day in the provinces.

Similar scenarios are expected to take place at the Tarlac Exit, San Miguel Exit and Tipo Exit of the SCTEX where traffic buildup occurred during the past years.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo E. Franco, president of the Manila North Tollways Corp., concessionaire of the NLEX, said maintenance works on the expressway will be suspended from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 except those being done on the roadsides where safety repairs are required. It is expected that most newly repaired and resurfaced portions of NLEX will be opened to traffic.

Median barriers will be opened in case there is a need for counter flow while additional lanes will also be opened in both Bocaue and Dau.

At the SCTEX, scheduled repairs and routine maintenance will also be stopped to give way to the expected increase in traffic volume. Additional manpower and equipment will be deployed to ensure smooth travel going to Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan and Subic Bay.

Franco said MNTC has mobilized its Motorists Assistance Program at the NLEX to provide more than the usual assistance at all Toll Service Facilities (TSF) or gas stations along the expressway. At SCTEX, two motorists’ assistance tents will be set up going to Tipo and Tarlac.

For assistance and inquiries, motorists are advised to call the NLEX hotline (02)580-8910, (02) 35000 or (0920) 96-SCTEX (72839) for SCTEX. These hotlines are available 24 hours a day.