NLEX Corp. on Tuesday broke ground for the construction of the R-10 section of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10.
NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco told reporters the company was investing P6 billion build the 2.6-kilometer R-10 section, or from C3 in Caloocan City to R-10 in Navotas City.
The R10 section of the NLEX Harbor Link is the continuation of the P10.5-billion, 5.7-kilometer Segment 10, an elevated expressway passing through MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon City and C3 Road/5th Avenue in Quezon City.
Franco said the R-10 section was designed to provide direct access between the port area and the northern provinces of Luzon via NLEX.
He said the Valenzuela to C3 section of the NLEX Harbor Link was expected to be completed by first quarter of 2018, while the R-10 section was scheduled to be finished by fourth quarter of next year.
“This project will complete the C5 section that will connect Mindanao Avenue to Navotas,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.
He added that the project was expected to improve transport logistics and drive investments in the Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas and Valenzuela areas and the Central and North Luzon provinces.
NLEX earlier submitted an unsolicited proposal to build the P60 billion C-5 Expressway, a 21.8-kilometer all-elevated expressway from the end of NLEX Segment 8.2 in Luzon Avenue, Quezon City to Cavitex C-5 South Link.
The project will complete the missing segment of the C-5 Circumferential Expressway alignment, a crucial component of the Metro Manila Urban Expressway Network.
The C-5 Expressway project will provide fast and seamless travel for motorists east of Metro Manila and connect Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig and Pasay.
The company said the usual two-hour travel time during peak periods via C-5 Road will be reduced to less than 30 minutes.
NLEX also proposed to construct a P62.43 billion NLEX-Cavitex Port Expressway Link, a 15-kilometer distance and will use “push-tunnel technology” that will minimize disturbance on existing infrastructure.
The first phase of the project will be from the end of the Radial Road 10 (R10) Spur Rod Ramp of NLEX traversing the R-10 up to Anda Circle in Manila, while the second phase will start Anda Circle and will traverse Roxas Boulevard up to Cavitex.
The project will reduce truck traffic within its limited capacity road network and significantly contribute in the decongestion of the metropolis 24 hours a day.