NLEX Corp. said Thursday it signed an agreement with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to build a new interchange in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga.
The Sto. Tomas Interchange is part of the Greater Pampanga Circumferential Road Masterplan and will serve as link to the future Lubao-Guagua-Minalin-Sto. Tomas (LGMST) Bypass Road project of the DPWH.
It will also be connected to other big infrastructure projects in the town including a new hospital and a university, bringing more progress to the municipality.
NLEX Corp. said while this is mainly a DPWH project, its completion and subsequent operation and maintenance would be a collaborative with TRB and the expressway operator, with the support of the Sto. Tomas local government unit and the 4th District of Pampanga.
“With the opening of our NLEX [Sto. Tomas] Interchange, I see us being one of the most progressive areas,” said Pampanga 4th District Representative Anna York Bondoc-Sagum.
Sto. Tomas Mayor Johnny Sambo also expressed his excitement towards the project, saying the new interchange would serve as an instrument in achieving the municipality’s goal of bringing progress to the town.
Sto. Tomas Interchange will also help decongest the Olongapo-Gapan Road by bringing NLEX closer to the towns in the west. It is envisioned to improve the lives of the communities within the project vicinity as it serves as a solution to the increasing traffic demand in the region driven by agro-industrial growth.