CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Phase 1 of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX), from Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City, will partially open to motorists this December 2020.
In a statement, Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar said the project is now 82 percent completed wherein about 25-kilometer stretch is targeted to be accessible before the end of the year.
“CLLEX is a 4-lane, 30-kilometer expressway from Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) connection in Balincanaway, Tarlac City and ends at Daang Maharlika in brgy. Caalibangbangan in Cabanatuan City,” Villar disclosed.
“The PhP14.94-billion flagship infrastructure is designed to facilitate the movement of goods and services from SCTEX and TPLEX to the eastern part of Luzon towards Cagayan Valley bypassing some town centers of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. It will cut travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes,” he added.
At least 11,200 motorists and commuters would be served by CLLEX daily and ease traffic at Daang Maharlika Highway by about 48%.
During his ocular inspection, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations & Technical Services Emil Sadain assessed that with the full blast resumption of construction works following restrictions due to the imposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the first three contract packages (CP) and substantial portion of CP-4 will be completed by the end of the year as civil works activities are now being fast tracked with the contractors observing the safety guidelines issued by the agency.
The project funded by the Government of the Philippines and an Official Development Assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency is being implemented by DPWH-UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 headed by Project Director Virgilio Castillo to provide a reliable road network in Central Luzon.
“Prior to work suspension due to ECQ, CP-1 or the 4.1-kilometer Tarlac Section was already completed including the 300-meter temporary off and on-ramp constructed at the beginning of Rio Chico River Bridge Section or CP-2,” Sadain furthered.
The official also reported that the 6.4-kilometer CP-2 which involves the construction of 1.5-kilometer Rio Chico River viaduct, 42-meter Sta. Lucia River Bridge and 38-meter La Paz-Victoria underpass bridge is 94.78% completed.
He directed that double efforts be exerted on the 9.2 kilometer CP-3 covering Aliaga section which includes the construction of 42 meter Guimba-Aliaga underpass bridge and Aliaga interchange which is 67.83% completed and the 10.3 kilometer CP-4 or Cabanatuan Section which also covers Cabanatuan and San Juan interchanges which is 68.65% completed.
An additional 4.8-kilometer component of the expressway project from the junction of Carmen-Cabanatuan Road is the Zaragoza Interchange section which comprises of 2.8-kilometer access free road and 2-kilometer interchange ramp that will cross over the embankment of CLLEX main expressway by an overpass.