Right-of-way talks for expressway nearing completion

TARLAC CITY — Representatives of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) told local officials here led by Gov. Jose Yap Sr. that they are nearing completion of right-of-way negotiations for the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway.

In a meeting held at the provincial capitol, executives of the BCDA, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) informed Yap that payments for 272.37 hectares of the total of 281.37 hectares of land undergoing right-of-way settlement for the superhighway project have been successfully negotiated with concerned private property owners.

Yap was told that right-of-way settlements would be fully completed by the end of the month.

The BCDA also reported that the designs for the superhighway’s proposed 14 interchanges will be completed by September this year.

The proposed interchanges are at the Tipo road junction at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Olongapo City; Mabiga and Dinalupihan, both in Bataan; Basa and Porac towns and at the Friendship Gate of the Clark special economic zone, all in Pampanga.

Interchanges are also planned at Clark’s logistics portion and northern part, and at the two northern ends of the North Luzon Expressway in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

In Tarlac, they will be put up in Bamban, La Paz and Concepcion towns, and in Barangay San Miguel right within the 6,000-hectare Hacienda Luisita here.

The four-lane superhighway from Olongapo City to the boundary of this city and La Paz town stretches a total of 92.4 kilometers.

Should its other components, such as the proposed interchanges, bridges, overpasses and underpasses, be included in measuring the entire length of the superhighway, it will reach approximately 209.5 kilometers.