ANGELES CITY – The stateowned Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), which oversees the Subic- Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), said it will construct a permanent toll plaza together with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), that will pave the way for a much smoother transition for motorists entering the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) from the SCTEx and vice versa.
“The toll plaza will provide a seamless interconnection between the SCTEx and TPLEx that will result in faster travel time and convenience to the motorists,” BCDA President- CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova told members of the press last Friday during the “Batirulan” media forum organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) and the Holy Angel University here in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp. and the Social Security System.
Casanova said DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson has given the green light to “commence at the soonest”” the construction of the permanent Tarlac Toll Plaza. He said the construction of the Tarlac Toll Plaza will cost some P175 million.
The BCDA will shoulder the cost of the toll plaza’s detailed design, traffic management and installation of the Toll Collection System (TCS) amounting to P25 million. The DPWH on the other hand will fund the civil works at a cost of P150 million—the bulk of which involves the construction of the toll plaza.
BCDA Project Manager for SCTEx Services Joshua M. Bingcang said the construction of the permanent toll plaza will take some six months assuming favorable weather conditions for its construction.
According to Bingcang, the new toll plaza will have seven toll lanes. Of the seven toll lanes, four lanes will cater to motorists from the SCTEx entering the TPLEX while the remaining three lanes will service motorists from the TPLEx entering the SCTEx.
Bingcang noted that two toll lanes will be reversible allowing additional lanes to address the queuing of vehicles during unusually high traffic volume. In the meantime, while the Tarlac Toll Plaza has yet to be constructed by the DPWH, Casanova said plans are underway to address the queuing of vehicles caused by the present set up.
“We are exploring the interconnection project with both the Manila North Tollways Corp. concession holder of the NLEx and the Private Infrastructure Development Corp. concession holder of the TPLEX,” he added.
Casanova said that in the TPLEx for instance, the interconnection plan would allow motorists exiting the SCTEx and entering TPLEx to pay their exit toll fee and at the same time get their entry ticket at the TPLEx Central Toll Plaza and vice versa.
“This would considerably reduce toll transaction time and allow for faster travel time as motorists will only stop at one toll both to pay their exittoll fee as they exit the SCTEx and get their entrance toll ticket as they enter the TPLEx,” Casanova noted.
