The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) have signed the contract for the construction of a 59.4-kilometer extension of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) all the way to the surfing capital of the north in San Juan.
The P23.36-billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract was signed by DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and SMHC chairman and president Ramon S. Ang, then presented to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
When completed, the TPLEX Extension will reduce travel time from Rosario to San Juan from the current one and a half hour to just 40 minutes, further promoting investments and economic development up north.
“With the signed PPP contract, the STEIC and DPWH can now proceed with detailed engineering design, parcellary plan, right-of-way acquisition for all the segments, so that we can commence civil works by July 2025,” Bonoan said.
The TPLEX Extension Project will be divided into three segments, with the first aimed for completion before the end of the President’s term in 2028.
Segment 1 will start from the last exit of TPLEX at Rosario and end in Tubao, which is an additional 18.5-kilometer of 4-lane road. Additionally, Segment 2 will cover the 23.1-kilometer section from Tubao to Naguilian, while Segment 3 extends 17.8 kilometers from Naguilian to San Juan.
The TPLEX Extension will have five interchanges, namely Rosario, Tubao, Naguilian, Bauang, and San Juan.
