Good roads make distance seem shorter

Thinking of spending the semestral break at home with kith and kin in the North, or planning to plunge into a month-long escapade in the big city?

Either way, it entails a long drive that can be taxing and boring if you don’t know any better than taking the old route which is usually pockmarked with potholes and all types of obstructions which slow you down to snail’s pace. Then exasperation sets in and you’d be cursing under your breath, wishing you should have stayed put in the first place.

But don’t let that discourage you. There is a hassle-free alternative. It’s called the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). It was fully commissioned last July, and it offers a safe, comfortable, speedy and seamless travel for motorists and commuters alike for pretty much of the way.

You can breeze through this four-lane toll way—the longest in the country at 93.7 kilometers—at the maximum speed of 100 kph and be at your destination sooner than you expected, yet still feeling relaxed and fresh as a daisy. At that rate, you cut travel time by about two hours or more, and save money on fuel cost. It’s never easy to find a bargain like that.

Bad roads really turn people off because they take the fun out of traveling, while good roads are exciting, and they make the distance seem shorter.

Speaking of the SCTEX, there are breath-taking scenes to behold along the way. Before the advent of the SCTEX, many of these sights remained unseen by most people, and just by marveling at them makes you think you’re lucky to be a passerby.

Check this out: a blogger who tried the SCTEX in going to Baguio City for no special purpose—like climbing the mountain simply because it is there—described the highway as “Awesome.”

By the way, many who have driven through the SCTEX at one time or another, among them columnists and travel writers, were just too glad to share their “wonderful” SCTEx experience through the Internet.

How to get there

Featuring world class and state-of-the-art infrastructures and facilities, the SCTEX has 11 interchanges and toll plazas as exit and entry points from Subic to Tarlac.

The first interchange is located at the door step of the Subic Freeport Zone in Barangay Tipo in Hermosa, Bataan, followed by the Dinalupihan Interchange which connects to the Bataan provincial expressway through an exit in Barangay Palihan, also in Hermosa.

The Mabalacat interchange, on the other hand, joins up with the Clark Spur Road leading to the NLEX. The interchange connects with the Mabalacat town proper and the old MacArthur Highway.

For Tarlac-bound travelers, the Concepcion Interchange links up with the Magalang Road in Concepcion town, followed by the San Miguel exit which leads to the Hacienda Luisita and the Central Techno Park.

Finally, there’s the Tarlac City Interchange. Taking a left turn after exiting the toll plaza will lead you to the Tarlac-Sta. Road towards Tarlac City proper. Take on the Tarlac-Sta. Rosa Road until you reach a traffic light. You will notice the Metro Town Mall at your right. Turn right and you land at the MacArthur Highway. From then on, you’re on your way to your north-bound destination of choice whether it is in Pangasinan, Baguio, La Union or Ilocos.

An alternate route to bypass the traffic in Tarlac City is from the Tarlac–Sta. Rosa Road, turn right at Gov. Arsenio Lugay Avenue. This will also lead you to MacArthur Highway.

Motorists bound for La Paz town or Nueva Ecija should turn right after the Tarlac toll plaza.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the three interchanges namely Floridablanca, Porac and Clark South as well as the Panday Pira access road that connects to the completed Clark North Interchange are nearing completion and would be operational soon.

The Floridablanca interchange leads to Floridablanca town proper and the Basa Air Base, while the Porac interchange to downtown Porac.

Once completed, the Clark South Interchange will provide direct access to the Clark Freeport and will be the shortest route from the SCTEX to Clark’s M.A Roxas Avenue and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA). Likewise, once the Panday Pira access road is completed, it will connect to the existing Clark North interchange and will also provide direct access to the other end of the Clark Freeport near the Expo Filipino complex—Angeles City residents will find this route very convenient to get to the SCTEX.

I guess that would help find your way around the SCTEX. So if you’ve decided to make that trip, here’s a piece of advice from Susan Heller. “When packing for your road trip, lay down all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”