THE NEW Karuhatan Interchange at the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is now open to further advance productivity and deliver travel convenience as motorists from MacArthur Highway, Valenzuela City and surrounding areas will now have a faster way to get to C3 in Caloocan City and vice versa.
“The new interchange, with entry and exit toll plazas, is expected to further decongest traffic at the Balintawak southbound since it will provide better access and improve connectivity of our expressways to and from the MacArthur Highway and other local roads,” said NLEX Corporation President and General Manager Luigi Bautista.
Bautista noted that more than 100,000 vehicles have been reduced at Balintawak southbound as motorists bound for Manila Port discover the travel convenience brought by NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 since it opened last February 28.
The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is the 5.65-kilometer, 6-lane elevated expressway traversing the cities of Valenzuela, Malabon up to the new Caloocan Interchange in C3, Caloocan City.
It will also include the under construction 2.6-kilometer section from C3 to R10, Navotas City.
“We are rushing the completion of the C3-R10 section by December this year to immediately address the congestion being experienced in the area especially at peak hours,” Bautista said.
True to its purpose, the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 has provided motorists, especially cargo trucks, an alternative access to decongest usual traffic chokepoints such as Balintawak, A. Bonifacio, and Mac Arthur Highway. It has cut the usual 1-hour travel between Karuhatan, Valenzuela City and C3 Road, Caloocan City to about 5 minutes.
A month after its opening, traffic volume at the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 has steadily risen, with more than 200,000 vehicles served from both northbound and southbound directions.
Motorists and commuters alike have since commended the relatively smooth traffic at Balintawak southbound on social media. A lady motorist said, “Thanks to NLEX Harbor Link, no more bumper to bumper traffic going to Balintawak.” Another commuter tweeted, “NLEX is improving. Wala nang traffic anytime.”
Others also mentioned that the elevated expressway complemented the traffic rerouting scheme implemented in line with the ongoing construction of San Miguel Corporation’s Skyway Stage 3 at Balintawak to improve traffic in the area, saying “NLEX traffic is so much better even if only two lanes are available at Camachile because of Skyway construction.”
