DPWH to complete CLLEX under Duterte’s term
By Lea Devio | The Manila Times | July 15, 2021
Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar (right) is seen at the recent inspection of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 1-Contract Package 1, which was declared 97-percent complete. (Photo by Business Mirror)
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday said it is committed to complete the entire 30-kilometer Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
This includes the 10.3-kilometer Cabanatuan Section under Contract Package 4 which is now 88.7 percent complete and the Zaragoza Interchange Section under Contract Package 5 currently 26.9 percent complete.
The first 18-kilometer section of CLLEX linking Tarlac and Nueva Ecija will be opened today.
“As declared a month ago, we will inaugurate on Thursday, July 15, 2021, the first 18-kilometer section of CLLEX from Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway/Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway connection in Tarlac City up to the intersection of Aliaga-Guimba Road in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija,” said DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.
Villar said the partial opening of the four-lane expressway project up to Aliaga is expected “to provide options to motorists and spread-out traffic better.”
According to Undersecretary Emil Sadain, the CLLEX sections covered by three contract packages that will open are the 4.10-kilometer Tarlac Section, 6.40-kilometer Rio Chico River Bridge Section including 1.5-kilometer Rio Chico Viaduct and the Aliaga Section with up and down ramps at Guimba-Aliaga Road.
The toll-free expressway project implemented by DPWH-Unified Project Management Office Roads Management Cluster 1, is one of the key infrastructure projects with funding assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency under the Build, Build, Build program.
Once fully operational, the P11.811-billion expressway is expected to shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes.
The new expressway will also form an important east-west link for the expressway network of Central Luzon to ensure continuous seamless traffic flow for the motoring public from Metro Manila and vice versa passing thru North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.
Source: The Manila Times