CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Pampanga Business Circle has called on the Department of Public Works and Highways and the city government here to work for the completion of connector road to the North Luzon Expressway to address the worsening traffic congestion around the Mexico toll plaza.
In a Feb. 9 letter to DPWH Region 3 director Engr. Arnold R. Ocampo and Mayor Vilma Balle-Caluag, Pampanga Business Circle senior fellow Rene G. Romero
In his letter, Romero raised concern over the unfinished portion of the San Fernando Tourism Road designed to link the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Del Rosario to the NLEX Mexico toll plaza. Practically completed, the road abruptly stops just before the NLEX perimeter fence, rendering it useless as an alternate access route to the expressway.
“At present, the absence of this connector forces all vehicles bound for NLEX Mexico Toll Plaza to pass through already oversaturated access points, contributing to daily gridlock and long travel delays for motorists and commercial vehicles alike,” noted Romero.
The business leader and good governance advocate explained that once completed and properly integrated into the NLEX access system, the connector road would “provide a direct and efficient approach to the expressway, divert a significant volume of vehicles away from overloaded intersections, reduce congestion along the Mexico-Calulut corridor and nearby junctions, and improve overall traffic distribution and travel efficiency.”
“Completing this road is not merely a convenience project but a strategic traffic decongestion measure that will improve road safety, mobility, and economic flow in the area,” Romero stressed.
Appeal to NLEX
In a separate letter, Romero also appealed to NLEX Corp. president Luis S. Reñon and Mexico Mayor Rodencio S. Gonzales to conduct a formal review of the intersection layout at the mouth of the Mexico Toll Plaza.
Describing the area as a chronic bottleneck, particularly during peak hours, Romero said several traffic streams merge and cross within a limited space. These include vehicles from the Mexico-Calulut-Anao corridor, through traffic along the main highway, vehicles entering NLEX, and heavy volumes exiting the expressway.
Large trucks and buses, he said, often struggle to turn due to limited turning space, resulting to slowing down sharply and at times even blocking adjacent lanes, further worsening congestion.
He suggested that authorities consider simplifying access points, improving turning radii for large vehicles, and providing clearer separation between local and expressway traffic.
He also mentioned that traffic experts may study the feasibility of a compact roundabout or similar design to reduce conflict points.
Copies of Romero’s letters were furnished to Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda and Regional Development Council 3 chairman Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr.
Punto News Team/Google Map photograb
