NEWS

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.

PUBLIC Works Secretary Mark A. Villar announced the nearing completion of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEx) Phase 1 – Contract Package 1, beginning at the connection of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) in Balincanaway, Tarlac.

At the project inspection recently, Villar said the Contract Package 1 with a budget of P1.603 billion is now 97 percent completed.

Contract Package 1 involves the construction of a four-lane expressway, spanning 4.1 kilometers, with the provision of an underpass bridge and two farm passages.

Overall, the CLLEX Phase 1 is divided into four packages. It covers the construction of a 30-kilometer, four-lane expressway, which, when completed, will shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes.

Its alignment will traverse the municipalities of La Paz, in Tarlac and Zaragoza and Aliaga in Nueva Ecija and will benefit an annual average daily traffic of 11,200 motorists.

“This project will decongest Daang Maharlika by 48 percent by serving as an alternate route to and from the two cities. Aside from that, we expect the project to promote more livelihood opportunities in Region 3 that will further contribute in reducing traffic in Metro Manila,” said Villar.

The CLLEX Phase 1 is being implemented by the DPWH-UPMO Road Management Cluster I headed by Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain with a total budget cost of P14.93 billion from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Fund.

Source: Business Mirror