Plans for elevated road linking NLEX and SLEX under way
Motorists may soon enjoy streamlined driving from the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) with plans under way for an elevated road connecting both highways.
The government has reportedly accepted an unsolicited proposal from Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC) to build the 13.24-kilometer road. MPTDC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), which runs NLEX.
Known as the Connector Road project, the elevated expressway will have a distance of 13.24 kilometers with 10.54 kilometers right over the Philippine National Railways tracks and the remaining 2.7 kilometers over Osmeña Highway.
It will be connected in the north to Segment 10, which will soon be constructed through the cities of Caloocan and Valenzuela. In the south, it will be linked to the skyway near Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. Once completed, the Connector Road will have four entry and exit points: C-3 Road in Caloocan, España and Quirino Avenue in Manila, and Buendia in Makati.
Construction of the project is estimated to cost P17 billion, but as an "all-elevated" structure, right-of-way acquisition shall be reduced to an estimated cost of only P2.41-billion. Construction is anticipated to start in 2012 when NLEX Segments 9 and 10 are complete.
"We are pleased that DPWH has accepted the unsolicited proposal of MPTDC in line with their mandate to develop the infrastructure of the rapidly growing area of North Luzon," MPTC chairman Manuel Pangilinan said in Inquirer.net. "The Connector Project will provide the efficient transport of people and goods through congested urban areas and reduce travel time between NLEX and SLEX to 20 minutes."
