Contract Package 1 of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 1, which is expected to cut the travel time between the cities of Tarlac and Cabanatuan by more than half, is now 97% complete, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has announced.
“Biyaheng norte naman tayo para bisitahin ang ginagawang Central Luzon Link Expressway,” DPWH head Mark Villar said in a Facebook post over the weekend. “Its completion will shorten the travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes.”
CLLEX Phase 1—a four-lane, 30km expressway that passes through the municipalities of La Paz in Tarlac, and Zaragoza and Aliaga in Nueva Ecija—is expected to decongest Daang Maharlika by up to 48%, according to the DPWH. Villar added that 11,200 motorists are expected to take the new route daily upon its completion, and that it will serve as an alternate route between the two aforementioned cities.
Phase 1 of the project is made up of four packages, with the P1.603-billion Contract Package 1 covering a four-lane expressway that spans 4.1km, plus the provision of an underpass bridge and two farm passages.
Villar also said that the eventual completion of CLLEX will contribute to reducing traffic in Metro Manila: “We expect the project to promote more livelihood opportunities in Region 3 that will further contribute in reducing traffic in Metro Manila.
“As part of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, this project will help in boosting economic and tourism growth in the region by providing a safe, fast, comfortable, and reliable road network.”
