Phase 1 completion of Subic’s Tipo eco-park eyed in 2022

The first phase of the P15-billion Tipo High-tech Eco Park (THEP), a 209-hectare development in a newly-opened expansion area of the Subic Bay Freeport, is expected to be completed by next year as Subic ramps up facilities to boost the economy amid the waning Covid-19 pandemic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the 58.49-hectare Phase 1 area of the eco-friendly mixed-use project is now 57.81 percent completed, with Phase 2 and Phase 3 development also underway.

“This used to be an area for the SBMA’s social fencing program, wherein several families of upland farmers occupied grasslands in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, planted them with crops and, in the process, helped prevent the incursion of illegal settlers,” Eisma pointed out.

“After this was designated as an expansion area for investments, the project developer had since compensated the upland farmers involved in the program to gain the right to develop the area. Now some of the farmers or their family members are employed in the development project,” she added.

Eisma inspected the industrial eco-park on Wednesday with SBMA directors Maria Cecilia Bitare, Rolando Ampunin, Benasing Macarambon Jr., and Brian Patrick Gordon.

“Phase 1 already has 13 warehousing units, of which nine are ready for occupancy,” Eisma said. “Xantheng Subic International Corp. (XSIC), which is the major proponent of the eco-park project, is now building nine more warehouses to complete the development by 2022,” she added.

As planned, the THEP will house light industrial factories, commercial facilities, residential buildings, and a nature park. The project is at a most strategic area in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, as it is near an entry/exit point of the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX).

XSIC President Simon Shu said that Phase 2, which is a 72.8-hectare industrial area, is already 11.79 percent developed, with a completion date of 2024, while Phase 3, which is a 68.87-hectare mixed-use area, is 2.92 percent developed and is set for completion in 2026.

Accordingly, Phase 2 already has two warehouse units with occupancy permit, while the developer is currently building four more units. Phase 3 is still in the preparation stage.

Shu said the company began developing the area in 2019 after it diversified into warehouse subleasing.

“We are dedicated to mixed-use development of zones consisting of industrial and technology parks, mixed-use commercial areas, as well as high-end residential and recreational zones,” he said.

He added that with Xantheng’s development and management unit, the firm will oversee and manage the park and offer value-added and professional services to locators.

Shu said that in the development stage alone, the XSIC has already hired more than 500 construction workers, including some upland farmers in the area, who were part of the social fencing project of the SBMA. The firm plans to hire more upon the start of THEP operations, he added.

According to the master plan submitted by THEP to SBMA, the development will include 101.47 hectares for light industries, 17.99 hectares for a commercial complex, 7.11 hectares for mixed use, 23.16 hectares for residential buildings, and 23.16 for a nature and environment conservation park.

There will also be a reserved area for utilities use and other purposes for a total development area of 209.27 hectares. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA warns illegal settlers

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Thursday appealed to farmers and indigenous Ayta tribesmen to stop encroaching in government-administered land and clearing forests and building illegal settlements within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the intrusion and introduction of unauthorized settlements violate the law, as well as an agreement between the Subic agency and the Ayta tribe on the use and disposition of tribal ancestral lands within the Freeport.

“Mapapagod lang po kayo sa paglilinis ng mga lupain at pagtatayo ng mga dampa kung labag naman sa batas ang inyong ginagawa. Babaklasin lang po ng mga may awtoridad ang inyong ginawa (Your efforts in clearing land and building shacks will simply be wasted if you’re activities are illegal. The authorities will simply dismantle what you build),” Eisma said.

“Matagal na pong may kasunduan tungkol sa mga lupaing katutubo dito sa Subic Freeport, at sana po ay sundin natin ito upang maiwasan ang kaguluhan (There has long been an agreement on the ancestral domain here in the Subic Freeport, and we hope you would honor it to avoid any problem),” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA may be constrained to file legal cases against illegal settlers in order to protect government interest over the properties. 

The SBMA chief issued the warning following the discovery of two new illegal settlements at the Tipo area of the Subic Bay Freeport near the Mt. Sta. Rita Naval Link Station and the Subic Bay Expressway (SFEX). Tipo, which is the location of the eight-kilometer SFEX and some industrial park projects, is a village within Hermosa, Bataan, and adjoins Dinalupihan town and Brgy. New Cabalan in Olongapo City.

A report from the SBMA Ecology Center said that in late February, inspectors discovered an undeveloped settlement near the SFEX tunnel, which consisted of some huts built in a newly-cleared 500-square meter area. The new clearing is located along the proposed rail alignment of the Subic-Clark Railway Project, said SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana.

Dela Llana said that after a meeting with the Kalayaan Ayta community revealed that the unauthorized clearing was made by a group of tribesmen from the Iram Resettlement area in Olongapo City, her office referred the matter on March 31 to Nestorio Pablo, the indigenous people’s representative to the Olongapo City council.

The notice sent to Pablo said that the SBMA will demolish the huts and confiscate the felled bamboos, wood, and other building materials found in the area.

Eisma said the demolition was carried out last Tuesday, April 13, by SBMA workers backed by officers from the SBMA Legal Department and the SBMA Law Enforcement Department.

She said the SBMA also served a “notice to vacate” to farmers who have started a new settlement at Lot 2 near Mt. Sta. Rita. The notice was received on Monday by Wilson Villas, vice chairman of the group Filipino Farmers Center Internazionale (FFCI).

Eisma said that while the Lot 2 settlement was still uninhabited, some semi-concrete structures put up by the illegal settlers there point to an intent for permanent occupancy.

The SBMA chief pointed out that the SBMA has already filed in court a case against illegal settlers consisting of about 30 families affiliated with FFCI who have occupied Lot 12, an area at the boundary of the Subic Freeport and the Roosevelt National Park in Dinalupihan.

She said the SBMA gave the FFCI five days to remove their belongings at Lot 2 and leave the area. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA workers start dismantling a hut built in an illegally-cleared area near the Subic Bay Expressway

[2] Some of the structures built by illegal settlers at Lot 2 near Mt. Sta. Rita in the Subic Bay Freeport

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New Subic Freeport Expressway now open

The 8.2-kilometer expansion project for the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) that was designed to provide better, faster and safer access to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone was formally opened on Friday, Feb. 19, by the project developer and high-ranking government officials.

The project, which began in July 2019, was inaugurated by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC) President Jose Ma. Lim, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) President Rodrigo Franco, and NLEX Corp President J. Luigi Bautista.

Bataan 2nd District Representative Joet Garcia, Hermosa, Bataan Mayor Jopet Inton, and MPTC spokesperson Romulo Quimbo Jr. were also present in the occasion.

The expressway project, which was touted to further accelerate economic growth in the Subic Bay Freeport and surrounding communities, was built at a cost of P1.6 billion.

Chairman Eisma, who welcomed guests in the inauguration rites, acknowledged the heavy support of the national government in Subic’s development as a premier investment and tourism center and said that the project is another testament of President Duterte’s “strong support and love for the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.”

Eisma thanked Medialdea and the other top officials in the Duterte Cabinet for further pushing development here.

She also requested support for a proposed interchange that will benefit three industrial parks at the Tipo area, pointing out that these industrial projects signal the continued trust of foreign investors in the Philippines under the Duterte administration.

The SFEX capacity expansion project entailed the construction of two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut Road, and a new two-pane tunnel.

NLEX Corporation President Bautista said this will increase road capacity from one lane in each direction to two lanes in each direction, and thus will accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods and services in and out of Subic.

“One of the key drivers of economic growth is a network of high-quality roads. The NLEX Corporation through NLEX, SCTEX, and the soon-to-be expanded SFEX not only intends to accelerate development, but also hopes to encourage travel convenience and road safety,” Bautista added.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque described the SFEX expansion as one of the key projects under President Duterte’s Build-Build-Build program and a testament that, under the Duterte Administration, the government is working non-stop to provide essential services to the people.

Thanking the MPTC for initiating the project, Roque said the SFEX expansion has significantly hastened travel from Manila to the Subic Freeport and provided motorists an alternative and faster route in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The SFEX, which is also known as the Subic-Tipo Expressway or NLEX Segment 7, connects the Subic Bay Freeport to the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), which in turn links with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] An NLEX Corporation bus breaks the ceremonial ribbon during the formal opening of the newly completed 8.2-km Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) on Friday, Feb. 19.

[2] Top-ranking government officials led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and SBMA Chairman Wilma Eisma headlined the opening of the newly completed 8.2-km Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) on Friday, Feb. 19.

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Opening of new SFEX lanes to ease traffic in Subic

The temporary opening of the new lanes at the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) will greatly ease heavier-than-normal movement of people and goods at the Subic Bay Freeport before and after the New Year festivities.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the Subic agency is expecting more people to visit or pass through Subic for the holidays, at the same time that business locators transport more products in and out of the Freeport.

“The opening of the new lanes, albeit temporarily, is very timely,” Eisma said on Monday after Public Works Secretary Mark Villar led the ceremonial opening of the new SFEX lanes.

“It will ease the movement of people and goods in the Subic Bay Freeport and further develop Subic’s business and tourism prospects,” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA had opened the Subic Freeport to tourists during the holidays subject to strict health safety protocols, and that tourist volume had increased dramatically to almost the current 50 percent full capacity.

She added that the Subic agency had allowed children to come into the Freeport as long as they stay in open areas or alfresco restaurants and not in malls and other closed spaces.

“There are lots of people coming in and Subic is very much excited, in a way,” Eisma said.

Villar, along with Eisma and NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, graced the ceremonial drive-through at the new 8.2-kilometer expressway lanes to mark the temporary opening on Monday. The new lanes will be open temporarily until January 15, after which more construction activities will resume.

During the expressway drive-through, Villar expressed satisfaction at the expansion project and said the new Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) is already 92 percent complete, with the remaining portion being the construction of the Jadjad Bridge.

Villar said the P1.6-billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project is expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of next year.

It entails the conversion of the Subic Freeport Expressway into a 2x2 divided expressway, with additional two lanes, two new bridges and a tunnel, as well as the installation of expressway-standard LED lights, raising the elevation of Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and the enhancement of drainage systems for better flood management in the area.

Villar also noted that the project will enhance accessibility and promote travel efficiency along this key road that connects Bataan and Zambales, as well as boost Subic’s competitiveness as an ideal shipping gateway for Central and North Luzon.

The SFEX, which is operated by NLEX Corp., a toll road subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), connects the Subic Bay Freeport to the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, which further links with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (MPD/SBMA)

TOP PHOTO:

Public Works Sec. Mark Villar, flanked by SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, walks along the new lanes of the Subic Freeport Expressway past the new tunnel during the soft opening of the expanded expressway on Monday.

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NLEX starts P1.6 B Subic Freeport Expressway works

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. unit NLEX Corp. plans to complete in a year’s time the P1.6-billion capacity expansion of the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) as construction activity goes full blast.

NLEX held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, September 12 for the 8.2-kilometer project aimed at improving traffic safety and easing travel time to and from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Completion of the SFEX capacity expansion is targeted in September next year.

“One of the key drivers of economic growth is a network of high-quality roads. The NLEX Corp. through NLEX, SCTEX, and the soon-to-be expanded SFEX not only intends to accelerate development, but also hopes to encourage travel convenience and road safety,” NLEX president and general manager Luigi Bautista said.

The project will increase road capacity from one lane in each direction to two lanes each with the construction of two additional expressway lanes, together with two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut, and a new tunnel.

NLEX said the new bridges and the tunnel would be constructed parallel to the existing ones.

Also included in the project are the installation of expressway-standard LED lights as part of the tollway company’s efforts to improve motorists’ visibility when driving at night, the raising of Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and the enhancement of the drainage system to help alleviate flooding in the area.

Once completed, the project will enhance accessibility and promote travel efficiency on the key road connecting Bataan and Zambales.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma said the expansion project is expected to boost Subic’s competitiveness in trade and tourism industries.

“The project will help sustain Subic’s position as a globally competitive trade and tourism hub. This road expansion will complement SBMA’s infrastructure development program and promotion of Subic as an ideal shipping gateway for businesses in Central and North Luzon,” she said.

In line with the ongoing construction, NLEX committed to plant more trees to replace those affected by the road project. (Richmond Mercurio, Philippine Star)

PHOTO:

SBMA Chairman & Administrator Atty. Wilma T. Eisma (far right) along with NLEX and Local Government officials during the groundbreaking ceremony signaling the start of the SFEX expansion. (Photo from SBMA Chair & Administrator Facebook page)

https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/09/13/1951234/nlex-starts-p16-b-sfex-works#K4I02T62E9WSI75X.99

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P1.6-billion Subic expressway widening project underway

The P1.6-billion Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) Capacity Expansion Project is now on-going to further ease motoring in and out of this growing business and leisure hub.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the North Luzon Expressway Corporation (NLEX), which operates the SFEX, is undertaking the expansion project designed to improve traffic flow in the area and promote road safety.

“It will also complement the SBMA’s infrastructure development program which includes widening of Freeport roads and improvement of our airport, seaport, and other logistics facilities,”Eisma said.

The SBMA official pointed out that the project also involves raising the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction by one or two meters, and fixing the drainage system in this area.

“This is the solution to the flooding problem that we have been experiencing in recent years,” Eisma said.

She said that with the start of the project on July 13, part of the Maritan-Rizal-Tipo junction will be closed to traffic and motorists will be redirected to alternate routes along the Causeway Road and the Argonaut-Kalayaan Access Road.

“I know this would exact some toll on the quality of work and leisure environment in Subic, as we have several infrastructure projects going on at the same time. But let us bear in mind that all these are meant to improve the business environment in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone,” Eisma said. “These are, in fact, our investments for a better future.”

According to NLEX Project Manager Elvin Cruz, the SFEX widening project entails construction of additional lanes to convert the 8.8-kilometer road into a four-lane highway.

This includes building new spans alongside the Jadjad and Argonaut bridges, and boring through the mountainside to create another two-lane tunnel beside the existing one.

Cruz said the first phase of the project is expected to be completed by October, in time for Subic’s hosting of 16 sports in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games to be held from November 30 to December 11.

The second phase, which will involve construction in the opposite lane, will start in January 2020.

Eisma said that Subic residents and visitors should expect “the usual dust, noise, and other small inconveniences” during project construction. “So I ask you to bear with us for 18 months until the whole project is completed,” she said.

“The pay-off to our patience will be a better road in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport, and we can then say goodbye to the heavy traffic that we occasionally suffer from during weekends when tourists flock to Subic,” she concluded.

The expressway widening project has been contracted out by NLEX Corp. to Sta. Clara International Corporation, a leading full-service engineering, construction, development and management enterprise in the Philippines which recently received a Quadruple A or “AAAA” license from the Philippine Contractors Association Board.

NLEX Corporation, which is the toll road subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., is the builder-concessionaire and operator of two major expressways that link Metro Manila to North and Central Luzon: North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

The SFEX, which is also known as the Subic-Tipo Expressway or NLEX Segment 7, connects the Subic Bay Freeport to the 94-kilometer SCTEX, which in turn links with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. (MPD/SBMA)

PHOTO:

Heavy machinery starts boring into the hillside to gouge out a new two-lane tunnel at the Subic Freeport Expressway. (BusinessMirror)

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20 new lanes to hike SCTEX toll capacity

NLEX Corp., the operator of the North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, continues to conduct systematic repairs, upgrading and capacity expansion to ensure safe, reliable and seamless travel for the motoring public.

After rushing repair works on cracks and deformations on road pavements caused by the recent earthquakes that hit the Porac and Floridablanca portions of SCTEX in Pampanga, NLEX Corp. engineers are now focused on capacity expansion works.

Due to start in July is the construction of 20 additional lanes in various toll plazas along SCTEX, including vital construction at the Subic Freeport Expressway.

The additional toll plazas at SCTEX is aimed at improving the customer processing time at exit and entrance booths, the company said in a statement.

The toll plaza capacity expansion project, which is expected to be completed by November this year, covers Clark North, Clark South, San Miguel, Bamban, and Tarlac toll plazas.

One new toll lane each will be built in Clark North entry/exit and Clark South B exit. Two new toll lanes each will be added at Clark South A exit and Tarlac entry/exit to serve the growing number of motorists traveling in these areas.

NLEX Corp. will further increase the service capacity of San Miguel (Luisita) entry/exit plaza and convert it to a full interchange. This means that San Miguel will be more accessible to motorists, as those coming to and from San Miguel will now have complete entry and exit points from both northbound and southbound directions.

Meanwhile, two lanes each will be constructed at San Miguel northbound entry and southbound exit and another toll lane will be added to the northbound exit.

The soon-to-open Bamban Interchange will likewise have three entry and three exit lanes. The new interchange will become the direct connection to New Clark City, the main venue for this year’s Southeast Asian Games.

Luigi Bautista, president and general manager of NLEX Corporation, said “the additional toll lanes will help improve SCTEX’s connectivity in its areas, particularly in Clark, which is being positioned as Asia’s next aerotropolis and investment center.”

The new lanes aim to enable speedy toll transactions even during peak hours and holidays when traffic volume on the expressway rises sharply.

In previous years, the NLEX Corporation, together with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, implemented several enhancement projects along SCTEX’s 94-kilometer stretch. These projects include the NLEX-SCTEX electronic toll collection integration, the expansion of Tipo Toll Plaza and the Mabiga Interchange.

CCTV System, LED lights, emergency call boxes, crash cushions, and reflective delineator plates were also installed at the expressway to enhance the safety of motorists. A new traffic control room was also built in Dolores, Mabalacat City to track real-time traffic at SCTEX.

The NLEX and SCTEX are safe for expressway users despite some pavement cracks observed in bridge approaches along SCTEX, following the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that seriously affected Pampanga and other parts of Central Luzon last April 22.

Meanwhile, post-earthquake assessment results conducted by NLEX Corp. and its engineering consultant AMH Philippines, showed there was no major structural damage found in NLEX-SCTEX bridges and slopes following the temblor, except for cracks and deformations on pavements and bridge expansion joints that were immediately repaired and are now 100% safe for expressway users.

NLEX and SCTEX bridges performed and behaved well and the cracks and deformations caused by the quake were all within anticipated range of structural-design assumptions. Comprehensive repairs have already been accomplished to ensure the riding comfort of motorists.

Repaired were four bridges in SCTEX Porac (Pasig-Potrero, Babo Pangulo, Planas, and Porac) and two bridges in SCTEX Floridablanca (Caulaman and Gumain) that sustained minor pavement cracks while steel plates and expansion joints that became uneven were now levelled.

“Our Quick Response Teams are on 24-hour stand-by mode and ready to immediately assist motorists to assure the safety of the public plying our expressways,” Bautista noted.

New expressway lanes, bridges, and tunnel will also be constructed at the Subic Freeport Expressway as the NLEX Corporation and Sta. Clara International Corporation recently signed the agreement for the P1.6-billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project.

The project ― which involves the construction of two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut, and a tunnel ― aims to better accommodate the growing number of vehicles going in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport.

In addition, expressway-standard LED lights will be installed to keep the SFEX safe and convenient for motorists, particularly for those driving at night.

The SFEX Capacity Expansion is seen to improve traffic in the area and promote road safety as the new lanes will segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways. It will also complement the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s infrastructure development program which includes the improvement of airport and seaport, the widening of roads, and the construction of an SBMA Corporate Center.

Bautista said their structures, including those elevated ones, were designed and built in such a way that they do not collapse during an earthquake. He also stressed that the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the elevated expressway from Karuhatan, Valenzuela City to Caloocan Interchange in C3, Caloocan City, is earthquake-resistant and can withstand high magnitude quakes.

“Rest assured that our roads adhere to world-class standards as we use top grade materials and undertake regular road condition surveys,” he added. (Orlan L. Mauricio, Manila standard)

http://manilastandard.net/lgu/luzon/295744/20-new-lanes-to-hike-sctex-toll-capacity.html

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P1.6-billion deal signed for expansion of Subic Freeport Expressway

A plan to expand the capacity of the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) by building new expressway lanes, bridges, and tunnel has been finalized.

This, after the NLEX Corporation and Sta. Clara International Corporation recently signed the agreement for the P1.6-billion SFEX capacity expansion project, marking the start of realizing the expansion.

Under the P1.6-billion project fund, construction of two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut, and a tunnel will be implemented.

These additional infrastructure projects aim to better accommodate the growing number of vehicles going in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport.

The officials said expressway-standard LED lights will be installed to keep the SFEX safe and convenient for motorists, particularly for those driving at night.

They further said that the SFEX capacity expansion will improve traffic in the area and promote road safety as the new lanes will segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways.

It will also complement the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) infrastructure development program which includes the improvement of airport and seaport, the widening of roads, and the construction of an SBMA Corporate Center.

The contract signing was spearheaded by NLEX Corporation president and general manager Luigi Bautista, NLEX Corporation chief operating officer Raul Ignacio and Sta. Clara International Corporation chairman and managing director Nicandro Linao.

Other signatories to the contract are NLEX Corporation chief finance officer Ma. Theresa Wells and Sta. Clara International Corporation deputy managing director Fernando Delgado, with Transportation consultant Alberto Suansing as witness. (Betheena Unite, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:

The familiar Tipo tunnel at the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEx) also known as the Subic-Tipo Expressway.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/21/p1-6-billion-deal-signed-for-expansion-of-subic-freeport-expressway/

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NLEX spending P1.6b to expand toll road in Subic

NLEX Corp. said it is spending P1.6 billion to expand the capacity of Subic Freeport Expressway, or SFEx, amid growing vehicle traffic.

NLEX vice president for project management Nemesio Castillo said SFEx, or the Tipo section of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, would be expanded by one lane in each direction.

The Subic-Tipo Tunnel of the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEx)

The project is expected to be completed in 16 months starting this month.

Castillo said a new tunnel and two new bridges—Jadjad Bridge and Argonaut Bridge—would also be constructed while expressway-standard LED lights would be installed to keep the expressway safe for motorists, especially for those driving at night.

SFEx, which was constructed in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Subic in 1996, is now a part of SCTEx.

NLEX holds the concession to manage, operate and maintain SCTEx, a 93.77-km four-lane highway, traversing the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac.

The management, operation, and maintenance of SCTEX was turned over by BCDA to the NLEX in 2015.

NLEX said last week it allotted P400 million this year to expand the capacity of SCTEX.

The company, which operates SCTEX, said more lanes would be built in Clark South A and South B exits; Clark North entry and exit; San Miguel northbound entry and exit; and Tarlac entry and exit.

NLEX said the construction would start on July 1 this year and be completed by November this year.

The construction of the Bamban Interchange, which will link the expressway to New Clark City, is also ongoing in time for country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games.

Data show since the SCTEx was opened in 2008, the average daily traffic grew by close to 600 percent from just 9,302 to 62,643 in 2018. (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Standard)


http://manilastandard.net/business/corporate/292969/nlex-spending-p1-6b-to-expand-toll-road-in-subic.html

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NLEX to expand Subic Expressway

NLEX Corp. is spending over P2 billion to expand the Subic Freeport Expressway to accommodate growing vehicle traffic, a top executive said over the weekend.

NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said SFEx or the Tipo section of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority would be expanded from 1x1 lane to 2x2 lanes in each direction.

“We are spending over P2 billion for the project but we are still calibrating that,” Franco said.

Franco said the investment proposal would be submitted to the Toll Regulatory Board by October, while construction was expected to start next year.

SFEx, which was constructed in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Subic in 1996, is now a part of SCTEx.

NLEX holds the concession to manage, operate and maintain SCTEx, a 93.77-km four-lane highway, traversing the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac.

The company reported a net income of P2.3 billion in January to June, up 17 percent from last year’s P2 billion on higher toll revenues at North Luzon Expressway and SCTEx and efficient utilization of resources covering toll operations and maintenance costs.

NLEX said toll revenues increased 8 percent in the six-month period to P5.7 billion from P5.2 billion a year ago, led by the increase in traffic from both NLEx and SCTEx operations.

Average daily traffic along NLEx reached 233,652 daily entries in the first half, or 7 percent higher than the same period last year, while average daily traffic at SCTEx reached 54,991 daily entries, up by 24 percent from a year earlier.

NLEX earlier submitted an unsolicited proposal to build the P60-billion C5 Expressway, a 21.8-kilometer elevated toll road from the end of NLEX Segment 8.2 on Luzon Avenue, Quezon City to Cavitex C5 South Link.

The project will complete the missing segment of the C5 Circumferential Expressway alignment, a crucial component of the Metro Manila Urban Expressway Network. (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Standard)

PHOTO:
A portion of the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEx)
(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subic%E2%80%93Tipo_Expressway)

http://manilastandard.net/business/banking-report/244950/nlex-to-expand-subic-expressway.html

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