Duterte leads inauguration of new C. Luzon expressway
MOTORISTS will now be able to use the first 18-kilometer portion of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) from SCTEX/TPLEX connection in Tarlac City up to the intersection of Aliaga-guimba Road in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.
President Duterte, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar, Sen. Bong Go, and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa led on Thursday, July 15, 2021, the inauguration ceremony of the four lane toll-free expressway project connecting the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.
The initial part of CLLEX that will be opened are the following sections covered by three contract packages: 4.10-kilometer Tarlac Section, 6.40-kilometer Rio Chico River Bridge Section, including the 1.5-kilometer Rio Chico Viaduct, and Aliaga Section with up and down ramps at Guimba-aliaga Road.
The new highway project was implemented by DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) spearheaded by Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain and Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista of UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral), who worked double time to deliver the completion of the project.
CLLEX is among the key infrastructure projects with funding assistance from the Government of Japan through Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in support of the Build, Build, Build (BBB) program.
The entire 30-kilometer expressway project is expected to shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes.
More than just scenic views experienced while you drive and visit the stunning places in Central Luzon, this new highway will help ensure Philippine sustainability and development by addressing barriers in distance and mobility.
The BBB program continues to deliver its promise of creating infrastructure that improves the lives of Filipinos amid the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges.
While BBB program continued to make progress, it is also setting up the foundation in terms of infrastructure for the next generation, a DPWH news statement said.