If you have to drive on the North Luzon Expressway today, here’s the latest update on the flood situation along the San Simon stretch of the toll road.
As of the latest advisory today, August 6, at 3:3am, traffic flow have improved in both directions along the San Simon stretch of NLEX, but running speeds remain at 5-10kph. Approaching Tulaoc Bridge on the northbound side, the flood level is 30cm deep in the rightmost lane, resulting in a 1.2km traffic buildup. The leftmost and middle lanes are passable. On the southbound side, the rightmost lane to Tulaoc Bridge is submerged in 30cm deep floodwater, resulting in a 1.4km traffic buildup.
More pumps and water trucks have been deployed to alleviate the flooding in the area.
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NLEX flood safety advisory and alternate route
To bypass the affected areas, Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles heading north may exit at Pulilan, proceed along MacArthur Highway, and re-enter NLEX at San Fernando. Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles heading south may take the San Fernando exit, proceed along MacArthur Highway, and re-enter at Pulilan.
The above-mentioned alternate routes are currently inaccessible to Class 1 vehicles because of flooding on local roads.
On NLEX, be mindful of the lane assignments:
- Class 1 and Class 2 vehicles: Take the leftmost and middle lanes (lanes 1 and 2)
- Class 3 vehicles: Take the middle and rightmost lanes (lanes 2 and 3)
If you’ve had to brave the bad weather and the swampy road conditions, here are five things to check in your vehicle after driving through a flood (full Tip Sheet here):
- Check your brakes.
- Observe your engine’s behavior.
- Check your vital electrical and electronic parts.
- Physically inspect your carpeting.
- Don’t forget to check your spare tire area.
Also, in case your travels are taking you to Metro Manila, remember that emergency repair work is ongoing on the EDSA Busway until August 9, disrupting traffic along the thoroughfare. A stop-and-go scheme is currently being implemented at 15 areas, and motorists are advised to take alternate routes. Check out our full guide to that here.
UPDATE: This story was updated on August 6 at 3:55pm to include the latest flood levels as of the latest report from the NLEX Corporation
