The San Simon portion of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) that got flooded for several days last week will be raised by 0.7 meters, according to the the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Secretary Manuel Bonoan of the DPWH said that funds for this project should be come available “in the next few weeks.”
To be specific, the part of NLEX that experienced floods as deep as 50cm last week is the portion that encompasses Tulaoc Bridge in San Simon, Pampanga. Bonoan explained that the bridge itself will be jacked up, after which the underlying section of NLEX will also be raised.
“Hindi naman masyadong mabigat na trahaho iyan because it’s an existing bridge,” Bonian said. “We just have to jack it up, maiakyat namin ng about 0.7 meters yata iyong gagawin, and then consequently kapag naitaas namin, sila naman sa NLEX itataas din nila iyong pavement nila.”
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This proposal is a medium-term solution to the flooding. During a briefing attended Pampanga local government officials, representatives from Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on August 7, a proposed long-term solution was the construction of a water impounding facility in Candaba.
Local officials, however, warned that this could affect the livelihood of rice farmers in the Candaba area.
