BCDA approves construction of Clark interchange

CLARK ZONE, Pampanga — The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) has approved the construction of an interchange at the Clark special economic zone as part of the ongoing P20-billion Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway project.

Levy Laus, president and chief executive officer of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC), said one of his immediate priorities is to connect the Subic seaport and the Clark airport through an interchange.

"Can you imagine the impact of this to President Arroyo when this project is inaugurated in December 2007? (That she would) find out that the Subic seaport and the Clark airport are not connected," he said.

After the raising the issue, he said BCDA president Narciso Abaya promptly sent a team to meet with CDC officials to discuss the engineering design of the interchange.

He said the interchange will be constructed at the Industrial Estate 5 of the Clark ecozone.

Under the present design, Laus said motorists have to travel an additional 12 kilometers from Clark to the next transit access in Dolores, Mabalacat, Pampanga or the North Expressway before they could reach the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

Motorists coming from Subic or Tarlac also have to travel the same distance to reach Clark.

"It would be very inconvenient for the motorists to travel 12 or 24 kilometers before they could access the tollway," Laus said.

He said the expressway project was conceived to make Clark, Subic and Tarlac accessible, "but without the transit access, we are defeating the purpose of the infrastructure."

Laus, who served as BCDA director for three years, said the Clark interchange would boost economic activities in the ecozone and the surrounding areas.

He said the interchange would also improve vehicular traffic in Angeles City and Mabalacat town.

"If there is no (heavy) traffic outside the main entrance of Clark, there will be more investors and tourists coming in," he said.

Various sectors have lobbied for the Clark interchange as part of the expressway project.