The Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX)’s P1.6-billion capacity expansion, expected to ease travel in and out of the Subic Bay Freeport, has started.
NLEX Corporation said that the construction of two new expressway lanes which include a tunnel and two bridges in Jadjad and Aragonaut has started at the eight-kilometer SFEX in order to accommodate more motorists negotiating the area.
Aside from that road expansion, expressway-standard LED lights will also be installed eventually on the highway to improve road safety.
NLEX Corporation President and general manager Luigi Bautista said that the capacity project is expected to be completed by September next year.
“Our company believes that good infrastructure is necessary to expedite delivery of products and boost tourism. These SFEX improvements, which are expected to be completed by September 2020, all aimed at supporting trade and commerce in Subic and enhancing the travel experience of our motorists,” Bautista said.
The project also involves raising the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction and enhancing the drainage system to help alleviate flooding in the area.
The project will be done in two phases, with the first expected to be completed by October 2019 in anticipation of Subic’s hosting of 16 sporting events in the 2019 SEA Games which will be held in November.
One lane of the Maritan-Rizal-Tipo junction has been closed to motorists since July 13 to pave the way for the road raising and flood control works. Motorists traversing the area are being diverted to alternate routes along the Causeway Road and the Argonaut-Kalayaan Access Road.
The SMBA and NLEX appeal to motorists for patience and understanding as temporary traffic delays might be experienced during the construction.
Traversing the provinces of Zambales and Bataan, SFEX runs from Rizal Highway in Subic going towards the former Naval Exchange and Argonaut Highway and ends in Hermosa, Bataan where there is a toll plaza leading to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.