The P10-billion 5.65 kilometer elevated expressway that connects C3 in Valenzuela to North Luzon Express Way will be opened to traffic next week, Department of Public Works and Highways announced Wednesday.
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the opening of the elevated road will lessen travel time between Valenzuela to NLEX to less than 10 minutes which usually takes more than hour of drive because of heavy traffic.
“We are glad that this much-awaited traffic decongestion project will soon be open to our motorists. With this new road, travel time between C3 and NLEX will only take 10 minutes,” Villar said.
“Aligned with the vision of the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure plan,—the “Build Build Build” program, the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is being anticipated to improve accessibility and connectivity between key areas of Metro Manila and the northern provinces of Luzon via the NLEX,” Villar said.
The new elevated road will ease traffic bottlenecks as it diverts 30,000 vehicles daily away from the busy streets of Metro Manila. It will also facilitate efficient delivery of goods as cargo trucks will have 24/7 direct access from the port area to the provinces in northern Luzon and vice versa.
This alternative route will enable travelers from Manila to Central and North Luzon to have shorter travel time as they can head straight to the NLEX bypassing EDSA and the Balintawak Toll Plaza. The next phase of this project is the 2.6-km section from C3 Road, Caloocan City to R10, Navotas City.
“Along with the full opening of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is the partial opening of the new Caloocan Interchange, the fourth gateway of NLEX to Metro Manila, after Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, and Karuhatan.” Villar said.
The new Caloocan Interchange serves as the point where the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the C3-R-10 section, and the NLEX Connector will converge. This junction is located along the PNR tracks in 5th Avenue/C3 Road in Caloocan City.