This undated photo shows the NLEx Connector road project linking the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway in Metro Manila. Contributed photo
MANILA, Philippines—The tollroad unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. is starting work on the Sta. Mesa section of the NLEx Connector Road, an elevated expressway in Metro Manila that aims to connect the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx).
In a statement, NLEx Corp. said it started work on the foundation of the 3-km Sta. Mesa section. This forms part of the 8-km NLEx Connector, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2022.
“Progress of the NLEx connector Sta. Mesa section will be more visible now as we start laying the foundation for this segment,” said company president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista.
“The bored piles are crucial in providing a sturdy base for our elevated expressway project,” he added.
NLEx Corp. will install a total of 72 piers, a structure that provides support for the four-lane expressway. It will have interchanges in España and Ramon Magsaysay.
Once completed, the NLEx Connector will cut travel time from NLEx to SLEx to about 20 minutes, similar to the Skway 3 project of conglomerate San Miguel Corp.
The expressway will run from C3 up to the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa in Manila.
It will cater to all vehicle classes and help decongest Metro Manila’s roads by providing an alternative route for heavy trucks delivering goods to and from the port area.
The P23 billion tollroad project will utilize portions of the existing right-of-way of the Philippine National Railways.
The PNR right-of-way will be shared by the NLEx Connector project and the North South Commuter Railway, a flagship infrastructure project that was currently under construction.
The company earlier said it had secured commitments from the government for the delivery of right-of-way.
NLEx Corp. is a unit of Metro Pacific, an infrastructure group involved in power distribution, water services, tollroads, railways and logistics.