TPLEX extension to Laoag, Ilocos Norte is not far from reality

San Miguel Corp. is seriously pursuing this project much to everyone's benefit.

Going or driving north is now more convenient and faster with the completion of the final section of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). In fact, a trip to La Union from Metro Manila will now only take 3.5 hours, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar.

The final 11.45 kilometer stretch of TPLEX which spans from Pozorrubio, Pangasinan to Rosario, La Union was constructed by the Private Infra Development Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMC).

TPLEX

TPLEX will be extended to San Juan, La Union by the end of 2022

Now, it seems that SMC doesn’t want to stop extending TPLEX as it expressed its plan to further stretch the highway up to Laoag, Ilocos Norte. SMC looks serious in making this a reality as it already laid out initial plans on how it can achieve the ambitious highway extension.

The first step that SMC intends to do is to extend the current TPLEX all the way to San Juan, La Union, which is home to one of the popular surf spots in the Philippines. Moreover, San Juan, La Union is known to be a place that attracts tourists due to the vibrant nightlife at the Urbiztondo beach area. The planned TPLEX extension of SMC will include building a four-lane toll road spanning 59 km by the end of 2022.

TPLEX

San Miguel Corp. wants to extend TPLEX until Laoag, Ilocos Norte

In a report by CNN, SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang said that its company is only waiting for the go signal and the project approval from Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez.

Ang even instructed the contractor to not remove the heavy equipment on site since SMC is looking to start the highway extension to San Juan, La Union as soon as possible.

SMC plans on building a toll road that will link San Juan to Laoag in Ilocos Norte. Upon completion, the new toll road will significantly reduce the current six-hour drive from San Juan to Laoag in Ilocos Norte.

It’s only fair to say that TPLEX played a huge role in further boosting tourism up north. It made Baguio even more accessible to individuals who want to escape the intense summer heat in the National Capital Region (NCR).

It also had its own share in making San Juan, La Union one of the popular go-to places to loosen up, relax by the beach, or go surfing on a weekend. As such, SMC’s plan to further extend TPLEX would open more possibilities and would make road travel up north even more convenient.

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