NLEX Corp. said Friday the construction of the new five-kilometer Candaba 3rd Viaduct between Pampanga and Bulacan provinces is on track for completion by November 2024.
NLEX president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista said the NLEX Candaba 3rd Viaduct project was 92-percent completed.
“The Candaba 3rd Viaduct project reflects our commitment to enhancing travel convenience and safety for motorists. We are thrilled to provide a safer and more efficient travel experience ahead of the holiday rush.. We are grateful to all our partners, both in the private and public sectors, for their commitment to and support for this project,” Bautista said.
The tollway company divided the project into three zones to ensure timely completion. Zone 1 or the Pulilan portion was completed in August, while zones 2 and 3, covering the Apalit area, are set to be finished by September and November, respectively.
The Candaba Viaduct has been a crucial link between Pulilan in Bulacan and Apalit in Pampanga for over 40 years, with its two existing bridges catering to northbound and southbound motorists.
The construction of the 3rd viaduct, positioned between the two existing bridges, is part of NLEX’s broader initiative to enhance this vital infrastructure’s expressway serviceability, safety, and reliability.
Other projects are lined up or underway in the province of Pampanga to improve travel experiences for expressway users and help decongest local roads, contributing to the province’s overall progress.
These include the NLEX Segment 3 widening project that expands the road capacity of NLEX San Fernando to SCTEX Spur in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2025, the expansion will increase the expressway’s capacity from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, providing faster and more seamless travel.
The project also includes the installation of roadway lighting from NLEX San Fernando to Sta. Ines, Mabalacat for enhanced safety and the expansion of the Mexico Interchange to accommodate the growing volume of vehicles in the area.
The Department of Public Works and Highway’s Sto. Tomas Interchange project, under construction between San Simon and San Fernando in Pampanga, will also help decongest major roads such as Jose Abad Santos Ave. (JASA) and Olongapo-Gapan Road by bringing NLEX closer to the towns in the west.
While this is a DPWH project, its completion and subsequent operation and maintenance will be a collaborative effort of the DPWH, Toll Regulatory Board and NLEX with the support of the Sto. Tomas LGU and the 4th District of Pampanga.
The construction remains on track for its target completion in the fourth quarter of 2025.
