Full integration of NLEx, SCTEx expected by 2016

Motorists will see the full benefit of an integrated North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) by the second quarter of 2016, operator Manila North Tollways Corp. said.

The move, which mainly involves removing of the toll booths at the Mabalacat Toll Plaza, follows the recent turnover of the SCTEx to MNTC by the state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

With the removal of tollbooths, the queuing of vehicles at the Mabalacat toll plaza “will be a thing of the past,” MNTC president Rodrigo Franco said in a statement.

The turnover also paves the way for MNTC to continue improvements at the SCTEx, which serves about 35,000 vehicles per day.

By 2016, Franco said MNTC will start a three-year asphalt overlay project of the entire 94 kilometer toll road.

“Once completed by the end-2018, motorists will enjoy and experience a smoother ride, increasing the level of comfort and convenience during travel.” He added that the asphalt overlay will only be conducted during the dry months of the year,” he said.

Moreover, CCTV cameras will be installed for “real time monitoring” of the entire stretch of the SCTEx.

“This will allow for faster response time when motorists need assistance or rescue, and at the same time, make the toll road safer for them,” he said.

Under the SCTEx business agreement, MNTC shall be responsible for the management services, toll collection, traffic safety and security management, toll road and facilities maintenance, including greening and landscaping, public relations and marketing, and all necessary support services. Miguel R. Camus