Motorists endure heavy NLEX traffic amid Holy Week exodus

Motorists going on a long holiday experienced heavy traffic at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) amid the exodus to the provinces this Holy Week. 

According to Raffy Tima’s report in “24 Oras” on Wednesday, NLEX management said that this is the first time that they experienced heavy traffic earlier than Maundy Thursday. 

“First Holy Week na Tuesday pa lang marami nang bumiyahe. Actually, kahapon from 5 to 11, talagang tuloy-tuloy na mataas yung volume natin and also first time na Holy Wednesday na morning pa lang mataas na yung ating volume,” said NLEX AVP for Traffic Operations Robin Ignacio. 

(This is the first Holy Week wherein many are already traveling as early as Tuesday. Actually, the large traffic volume continued from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. yesterday. This is also the first time that the volume of vehicles is already high on the morning of Holy Wednesday.) 

With the heavy traffic volume, NLEX implemented a counterflow scheme earlier at 1:30 p.m. wherein motorists going north were allowed to use the southbound lane stretching from Balintawak until Marilao. 

A counterflow scheme was also implemented in the southbound lane from San Fernando until Dau in Pampanga. 

Hence, heavy traffic is also being experienced in NLEX’s southbound lane. 

“Marami din po yung pa southbound natin kaya gagawin na lang namin, pagka talagang sobrang dami na ng pa southbound, ititigil muna namin yung counterflow para lang ma-ease up yung traffic natin ng southbound,” said Ignacio. 

(Many are also traversing via southbound. So what we are planning to do is if ever the volume of traffic already went high in the southbound, we will stop the implementation of a counterflow to ease the traffic.) 

NLEX management said the half-day work in government offices, which allowed government workers to have enough time to prepare for their trips, could have contributed to the large traffic volume. 

But it added that motorists could have already learned to have their trips ahead of Maundy Thursday to avoid the holiday rush. 

The NLEX management said that it has so far recorded two minor accidents at dawn. 

It also opened four lanes for cash payments to accommodate vehicles who don’t have an RFID installed yet. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News