MANILA, Philippines – The operator of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) is set to open an additional lane at the San Fernando Interchange in March to ease the heavy volume of vehicles in Pampanga during rush hour.
NLEX Corporation said in a statement on Wednesday, January 3, that the expansion project will widen the 336-meter northbound exit ramp heading towards Pampanga's capital city, increasing the number of deceleration lanes to two.
The improvement is seen to benefit motorists, merchants, and commuters going to San Fernando City in Pampanga from Bulacan and Manila.
"This project is part of our company’s pursuit of improving the traffic flow in and out of the expressway," NLEX president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco said.
The San Fernando Interchange has been one of the busiest interchanges on the NLEX as it is near business and commercial centers and offers access to other provinces in the north, like Nueva Ecija, Bataan, and Zambales. (READ: Metro Pacific unit to borrow P36 billion for 2 new toll roads)
Traffic management
Franco said a traffic management plan was put in place around the work area to ensure the safety and convenience of motorists passing through the construction site.
Under the plan, the NLEX operator has deployed traffic personnel to help keep traffic moving smoothly and has positioned flagmen and placed road signs at strategic locations to further guide motorists.
In 2017, NLEX enhanced the capacity of the San Fernando Interchange by building two new bridges crossing the NLEX function as separate carriageways and by widening the interchange ramps to 4 lanes in each direction.
NLEX also removed the east and west roundabouts along Jose Abad Santos Avenue to pave the way for the installation of automated traffic signals.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, a company owned by Manuel Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.– Rappler.com