The North Luzon Expressway Corporation (NLEX Corp.) has just posted a progress report on the ongoing construction of the NLEX-SLEX connector road project. The company did this via a drone video which it put up on its official Facebook page.
WATCH: #NLEXConnector Progress Update as of February 28, 2022
According to the said video, the company has already put up 208 bored piles out of the total 281 needed. These are the foundation of the new road, and they come in the form of large cylindrical structures made out of concrete driven into the soil.
Also, 192 out of 277 columns were already put up. These are responsible for transferring the load from the superstructure towards the elevated road’s foundation. Furthermore, 122 out of 190 crossheads are already in place. These connect the girders and the columns. Speaking of girders, 722 out of 1,534 are already put in place.
As of our last report about the project in question, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the NLEX Corp. are aiming to finish acquiring the right-of-way by the end of 2022.
An older drone shot of the NLEX-SLEX connector taken last year
In total, the project costs around Php 23 billion. It aims to lessen the traffic congestion in Metro Manila by taking the pressure off of other major roads like C5 and EDSA.
The NLEX-SLEX connector will also serve as a point of entry for class 3 vehicles (large trucks) traveling to southern Luzon as it will not be covered by the truck ban policy. This of course, will further stimulate economic development.
Once finished, the NLEX-SLEX connector road will be able to accommodate up to 35,000 motorists daily. Moreover, travel time from the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to NLEX and vice versa will only take 20 minutes.
The final target date to finish the NLEX-SLEX connector is in the third quarter of 2023.
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