CLARK FREEPORT — The North Luzon Expressway Corp. (NLEx Corp.) said yesterday it is infusing some P400 million more to add more booths and corresponding lanes at tollgates and interchanges along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).
This, even as NLEx Corp. also said it is rushing for this November’s Southeast Asian Games the construction of the Bamban Interchange in Tarlac which is expected to be the main entry and exit point between the venue in Capas, Tarlac and Metro Manila. The project is covered by the P400-million allocation.
NLEx Corp. communications chief Kit Ventura said construction of the booths and lanes will start this July at the tollgates at Clark South, Clark North, San Miguel, Bamban and Tarlac City in the province of Tarlac. This will also entail the construction of wider interchanges, he added.
Ventura noted that the Clark South and Clark North tollgates are main gateways towards the Clark International Airport where the number of regular international and domestic flights have been on steady increase in the recent years.
Ventura also cited the widening of the San Miguel interchange in Tarlac as this is the main point connecting NLEx and old Manila NoOrth Road, also known as the MacArthur Highway.
Another P50 million had been allocated for the rehabilitation of the bridges along the SCTEx in Dinalupihan, Bataan.
Ventura said this would fortify the bridges and make them capable of withstanding strong currents in the channels underneath during the coming rainy season.
He also said the P400-million fund also covers the asphalt overlaying of SCTEx portions from Tipo at Subic Bay Freeport up to La Paz, Tarlac which links to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.