NLEX starts full blast works on P1.6-B SFEX expansion project

SUBIC, Zambales —North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corp. on Thursday began its full-blast construction works on the capacity expansion of the 8.2-kilometer Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX).

The SFEX capacity expansion project is aimed at improving traffic safety and easing travel time to and from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone with additional lanes.

Under the P1.6-billion project, two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut, and a new tunnel will be constructed to increase the road’s capacity from the present one lane in each direction to two.

On the other hand, the new bridges and the tunnel will be constructed parallel to the existing ones.

Also included in the project are the installation of expressway-standard LED lights  to improve motorists’ vision while driving at night; the raising of Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction; and the enhancement of the drainage system to help alleviate flooding in the area.

Signaling the start of the project is a groundbreaking ceremony led by NLEX Corp. president and general manager Luigi Bautista, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma, Zambales 1st District Representative Jeffrey Konghun, Board Member Reinhard Jeresano, Hermosa, Bataan Mayor Antonio Joseph Inton, and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Abraham Sales.

“One of the key drivers of economic growth is a network of high-quality roads. The NLEX Corp. through NLEX, SCTEX, and the soon-to-be expanded SFEX not only intends to accelerate development, but also hopes to encourage travel convenience and road safety,” Bautista said.

NLEX Corp. is set to complete the SFEX's capacity expansion project by September 2020.

For her part, SBMA's Eisma said the project also expected to enhance accessibility and promote travel efficiency on this key road that connects Bataan and Zambales, adding that it would also boost Subic’s competitiveness in trade and tourism industries.

“The project will help sustain Subic’s position as a globally competitive trade and tourism hub,” the SBMA chief said.

The NLEX Corp. is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), the tollways unit of Pangilinan-led infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC). —LBG, GMA News