Not that many of us will be heading to Subic anytime soon on account of COVID-19 and all, but some of you might be happy to hear that the Subic Freeport Expressway expansion (SFEX) project is now 50% complete.
In a statement, the NLEX Corporation shared the update and said that it is expecting the SFEX expansion to be done by the end of the year. Once complete, the project will add two new expressway lanes, two new spans across the Jadjad and Argonaut bridges, and a new tunnel. New LED lights will also be installed to improve nighttime visibility along the thoroughfare.
The undertaking has a P1.6 billion budget attached to it and hopes to improve traffic in the area. According to NLEX Corporation president and general manager Luigi Bautista, travel to and from Subic and its surrounding provinces will be made more convenient once the expansion is finished.
“By increasing the road capacity of SFEX, which traverses the provinces of Bataan and Zambales, transport of goods in and out of the Subic Freeport will be faster and easier,” Bautista said in a statement.
“This would also mean that the expressway can accommodate more motorists at a given time,” he added.
The SFEX expansion project began in September last year, but construction came to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country earlier in 2020. It was originally scheduled to finish in September 2020. Work resumed in mid-May 2020, and the NLEX Corporation says it is poised to help Subic maintain its position as a prime business and leisure hub.
Safer and fast drives to Subic? We’re down with that. That route can get pretty dark, so the new lights will be a welcome addition, too. So, are you looking forward to passing here once it’s safe to move about freely again?
