The North Luzon Expressway Corporation (NLEX) is working on raising a 200-meter portion of the San Simon road in Pampanga. This project aims to manage flood waters and to combat the potential of another flooding incident occurring in the area. The company says it will complete this project before the holiday rush.
This part of San Simon is known to have a flood issue [Photo: NLEX Corp.]
According to the NLEX Corporation, the project involves the north and southbound portions of a 200-meter section under the Tulaoc underpass. These will be raised by 0.7 meters and will be provided with flood walls equipped with sump pits and sump pumps to deal with flood waters.
NLEX President J. Luigi Bautista said that the company’s goal in this project is to make this section of road safe for motorists during the rainy season. All the while, he says that the company will be performing the necessary construction works for this project with minimal “disruption to the motorists.”
“The problem is the flood level outside the NLEX has overflowed to the lowest area of NLEX in San Simon. We asked the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) to raise the Tulaoc overpass so we can also elevate this portion of the expressway” added Bautista.
Hopefully, the project gets done in time before another big flood hits.
Note that flooding on the NLEX San Simon section is attributed to the massive floods occurring in Central and North Luzon. The company shared that it can cause up to 68 cm deep floods in the area. This, in turn, causes heavy traffic on the expressway, as well as on local roads.
For its part, the DPWH has already shared during a recent situation briefing with local government officials of Pampanga that it will likewise work on raising the Tulaoc overpass by 0.7 meters. Once this is completed by the government agency, NLEX will add another 0.3 meters of height on the pavement. This will raise the said road by a total of one meter.
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