The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) targets to open to motorists the major segment of Central Luzon Link Expressway or CLLEX Phase 1 leading Cabanatuan City by the end of year 2020.
In his ocular inspection, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations & Technical Services Emil K. Sadain said that construction of the 4-lane 30-kilometer expressway from the connection of SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) and TPLEX (Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway) in Balincanaway, Tarlac City and ends at Daang Maharlika in Caalibangbangan, Cabanatuan City is 82% completed and is being fast-tracked with about 25 kilometer stretch targeted to open by December 2020.
The P14.94-billion flagship infrastructure project funded by the Government of the Philippines and an Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is being implemented by DPWH-UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 headed by Project Director Virgilio Castillo to provide a reliable road network in Central Luzon.
Undersecretary Sadain said that although work suspension order was imposed from March 20 due to the placing of the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine amid COVID-19 pandemic, the first three (3) contract packages (CP) and substantial portion of CP-4 will be completed by the end of the year as full blast construction activities have immediately resumed on May 5, 2020 with the contractors observing the construction safety guildelines issued by Secretary Mark A. Villar.
CP-1 or the 4.1 kilometer Tarlac Section is already completed including the 300 meter temporary off and on-ramp constructed at the beginning of Rio Chico River Bridge Section or CP-2.
The 6.4 kilometer CP-2 which involves the construction of 1.5 kilometer Rio Chico River viaduct, 42 meter Sta Lucia River Bridge, 38 meter La Paz-Victoria underpass bridge is 94.78% completed.
The 9.2 kilometer CP-3 covering Aliaga section which includes the construction of 42 meter Guimba-Aliaga underpass bridge and Aliaga interchange is 67.83% completed.
Construction of 10.3 kilometer CP-4 or Cabanatuan Section which also covers Cabanatuan and San Juan interchanges is 68.65% completed.
Upon full completion of the entire alignment, CLLEX Phase 1 will cut travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes, said Undersecretary Sadain.
At least 11,200 motorists and commuters would be served by CLLEX daily and ease traffic at Daang Maharlika Highway by about 48%.
An additional 4.8 kilometer component of the expressway project from the junction of Carmen-Cabanatuan Road is the Zaragoza Interchange section which comprises of 2.8 kilometer access free road and 2 kilometer interchange ramp that will cross over the embankment of CLLEX main expressway by an overpass.
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