The Public Works Department said the first package of a new expressway linking Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City is nearly completed.
It said the construction of Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase 1, Contract Package 1, beginning at the connection of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway in Balincanaway, Tarlac was 97-percent completed.
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said Contract Package 1 with a budget of P1.603 billion involves the construction of a four-lane expressway, spanning 4.1 kilometers, with the provision of an underpass bridge and two farm passages.
CLLEX Phase 1 is divided into four packages which cover the construction of a 30-kilometer, 4-lane expressway which when completed will shorten the travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes.
Its alignment will traverse the towns of La Paz in Tarlac and Zaragoza and Aliaga in Nueva Ecija and will benefit an annual average daily traffic of 11,200 motorists.
“This project will decongest Daang Maharlika by 48 percent by serving as an alternate route to and from the two cities. Aside from that, we expect the project to promote more livelihood opportunities in Region 3 that will further contribute to reducing traffic in Metro Manila,” Villar said.
CLLEX Phase 1 is being implemented by the DPWH with a total budget cost of P14.93 billion from an official development assistance fund.
“As part of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, this project will help in boosting economic and tourism growth in the region by providing a safe, fast, comfortable and reliable road network,” Villar said.
The agency also plans to build CCLEx Phase II”•a four-lane extension of CLLEX Phase I that will connect Cabanatuan City and San Jose City passing through the towns of Talavera and Llanera in Nueva Ecija with about 35.70 km in road length.
This will also provide a free-flowing alternative route and decongest traffic along the Pan-Philippine Highway between said the said cities of Nueva Ecija and the town of Plaridel in Bulacan [rovince.
The project cost is about P11.98 billion.