BCDA, NLEX to make P2 billion worth of improvements to SCTEx

MANILA, Philippines — State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA ) and NLEX Corp. are set to implement projects amounting to P2 billion for improvements at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

In a statement yesterday, the BCDA said P2-billion worth of projects are lined up for SCTEx including the ongoing construction of the Bamban Interchange which will connect the expressway to New Clark City in time for the Philippines’ hosting of the 30th South East Asian Games this year.

By next year, NLEX also intends to finish the expansion of the Clark South, Clark North, Luisita, and Tarlac interchanges for reduced queuing time in toll plazas.

Joshua Bingcang, BCDA senior vice president for business development and operations at SCTEx, said the projects would be funded by the state-run firm and NLEX.

Management, operations and maintenance of SCTEx was turned over by BCDA to NLEX in 2015.

The ease of travel has been seen along the 94-kilometer SCTEx following P2 billion worth of road improvements undertaken from 2013 until last year.

In particular, the BCDA said the average daily traffic rose by nearly 600 percent to 62,643 last year from just 9,302 in 2008 when the SCTEx opened.

Improvements undertaken earlier for the expressway include the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway)-SCTEx integration in 2016, which reduced toll collection stops and improved travel time of motorists; expansion of Tipo Toll Plaza and Mabiga interchanges; asphalt overlay covering the full stretch of the SCTEx; and the establishment of two toll service facilities to provide travel convenience.

 A new traffic control room was put up. Closed circuit television (CCTV) systems were likewise installed for improved monitoring of real-time traffic.

“Improvements in SCTEx infrastructure and service have proven instrumental in driving growth to the region. Motorists will have an even better travel experience in the coming years with the big projects planned for SCTEx,” Bingcang said.

“SCTEX has opened floodgates of opportunities as the faster and safer travel have encouraged investments and tourism in the region. We can see that industrial centers are booming particularly in Subic, Bataan, and Tarlac because mobility improvements are a come-on for motorists and investors,” NLEX Corp. president Luigi Bautista said.

Central Luzon posted a gross domestic product growth of 9.3 percent in 2017, almost three percent higher than the country’s GDP of 6.7 percent in the same year.