NLEX Corp. said over the weekend it will implement higher toll effective Nov. 25 following the completion and opening of the NLEX Harbor Link in June.
The Toll Regulatory Board recently approved a toll rate adjustment of P4 after NLEX opened the 2.6 -kilometer elevated section between the new Caloocan Interchange at C3 Road/5th Ave. and the new Navotas Interchange along R-10/Mel Lopez Boulevard.
NLEX said while the regulatory approval could have been implemented earlier this year, the increase was deferred in consideration of the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
The increase which would take effect past midnight or 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 25 would amount to P4 in the open system and P0.06 per kilometer in the closed system.
The open system, where a flat rate is charged per entry, includes Quezon City, Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, Malabon City, Navotas City, Meycauayan City and Marilao, Bulacan.
Under the new toll fee matrix, motorists traveling anywhere within the open system will pay an additional P4.00 for Class 1 vehicles (regular cars and SUVs) while Class 2 vehicles (buses and small trucks) will pay an additional P10. Class 3 vehicles will add P11.
For end-to-end travel, vehicles traveling from Metro Manila to Mabalacat City in Pampanga will be charged an additional toll of P9, P20, and P25 per class.
The latest NLEX Harbor Link elevated section features the new Caloocan Interchange with on and off ramps along Grace Park, the new Malabon Exit with off ramp on Dagat-Dagatan Ave. and the new Navotas Interchange, thereby expanding the NLEX network in the CAMANAVA area.
NLEX said that despite the challenging lockdown conditions since March this year, construction resumed immediately as soon as IATF clearance was obtained thereby keeping the commitments under the government’s Build Build Build Program. The resumption of construction also helped retain thousands of jobs in the construction workforce and the supply chain.
Since its opening to commuter traffic last June 15, the new elevated expressway helped mitigate worsening traffic conditions and offered an alternative route for commuters and truckers affected by traffic choke points along EDSA, A. Bonifacio and Rizal Avenue in Manila.
Container cargo trucks, especially those carrying essential goods such as medical equipment and supplies, now enjoy 24/7 access and unhampered deliveries from the Ports of Manila as there is no truck ban along NLEX.
An average of 30,100 vehicles per day, mostly from the logistics industry,use the new route and enjoy the improved commuting time provided by the NLEX Harbor Link.
Traffic reports also showed that around 7,200 vehicles were diverted to the NLEX Harbor Link from the traditional Manila-bound EDSA Balintawak Cloverleaf, which in turn eased congestion in A. Bonifacio and other clogged streets in Quezon City and Manila.
The new section also reduced commuting time along Metro Manila’s east to west corridor between the Mindanao Ave. Toll Plaza and the Port Area in Manila to just 20 minutes.