The Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) has officially inaugurated the newly-expanded P287-million Bocaue toll barriers at the North Luzon Expressway on Tuesday, October 25.
According to Rodrigo Franco, president and CEO of the MNTC, the expansion of the Bocaue toll barrier from 26 to 34 lanes will help lessen the surge in traffic volume particularly this All Saints’ Day.
“This project is part of MNTC’s continuing commitment to provide motorists with fast, safe and convenient travel and more importantly, value for money in terms of greatly enhanced facilities and services,” Franco said.
The additional eight lanes composed of four manual lanes, two Easytrip lanes and two mixed lanes.
“The expanded toll plaza assures that motorists will continue to experience speedy toll transactions at the NLEX especially during peak hours,” Franco added.
MNTC president Rod Franco said the expansion of the Bocaue toll barrier from 26 to 34 lanes will lessen the surge in traffic volume during the observance of All Saints’ Day. The MNTC once anew implements “Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko” in an effort to provide motorists with fast, safe and convenient travel. – Photo by Deng Pangilinan.
In time for the holidays, MNTC is again implementing “Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko” (SMSK) along the NLEX, the SCTEX and the CAVITEX, according to Raul Ignacio, MNTC chief operations officer.
The SMSK is the motorist assistance program of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) to ensure hassle-free travel during holidays.
The tried and tested SMSK has always enhanced the traffic management and toll collection services during ‘Undas’, a red-letter day when motorists and riders flock to the provinces to remember their departed loved ones.
For those going north, traffic is expected to build up in the afternoon on October 28 until late morning November 1. For motorists traveling back to Manila, heavy traffic is expected to start in the afternoon of October 31 until morning of November 2.
From October 28 to November 2, NLEX-SCTEX traffic personnel will extend working hours to closely monitor and manage the expected heavy volume of vehicles in Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Bocaue, Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas. Additional patrol teams will be deployed to assist distressed motorists.
On October 28 to 30, Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas will have additional toll collections points.
Starting in the afternoon of October 29, until the late evening of November 1, the Bocaue Toll Plaza will open 45 toll collection points including the new eight-lane toll plaza. By November 2 and 3, Bocaue will have 34 collection points in operation.
Portabooths and portable toll collection equipment will be used to speed up transactions. Road works will be suspended beginning October 27 and will resume on November 3.
During the same period, CAVITEX will field more traffic patrol officers and security personnel to conduct round-the-clock mobile patrol within the area of jurisdiction and at toll plazas. In anticipation of the traffic increase, ambulant tellers will be on standby to facilitate faster toll transactions.
MNTC will activate information and help desks at selected toll service facilities along NLEX-SCTEX and set up SMSK Motorist Camps in Dau rest bay northbound and Floridablanca rest bay on Ocotber 28, 29, 31 and November 1.
At CAVITEX, motorist camps will be implemented southbound on October 28-29 and northbound on October 31-November 1. Free towing services to the nearest exit will also be offered to Class 1 vehicles from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., in all three MPTC operated expressways.