The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and NLEX Corp. are accelerating the construction of the first five-kilometer section of the NLEX Connector from Caloocan Interchange to España in Manila in order to meet the target completion of the project by the end of the year.
“Right-of-way delivery for the whole alignment stands at 81 percent, while construction progress is at 16 percent. With the commitment of both the public and private sectors, we are optimistic that we can finish the project as scheduled,” Public Works and Highways Sec. Mark Villar said in a statement.
Villar led the project inspection along 4th Avenue in Caloocan City together with NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista on Wednesday.
During the inspection, DPWH and NLEX officials also witnessed the launching of Super T girders. NLEX Corp. said that these “are innovative, pre-stressed box girders that are widely used for bridges in Australia and New Zealand but relatively new in the Philippine construction industry.”
“Innovation is one of the core values of our company. We are using Super T beams to advance our construction progress so we can soon complete this crucial infrastructure that would help decongest Metro Manila and solve truck ban woes,” Bautista said.
The newly installed Super T beams span 30 meters and weigh 53 tons. NLEX Corp. said that compared to other types of girders, Super T beams are more flexible, structurally efficient, and aesthetically appealing.
“They have open flanges that provide a complete working surface and reduce the need for formworks thus help fast-track the construction of the elevated expressway,” it said.
The company said over 1,400 girders will be used for the entire Connector project.
“The structural format of a Super T provides an optimal solution to particular challenges posed by the Connector project, which passes through urbanized areas where the roads are already congested, and the right-of-way is constrained laterally,” it added.
Last year, DPWH, NLEX, and Meralco facilitated the clearing of electric facilities in Sta. Cruz, Manila. More than 300 Meralco linemen simultaneously worked to clear a portion of the right-of-way. The activity also involved the installation and retirement of around 160 electric poles.
Spanning a total of eight kilometers, the full NLEX Connector will be an all vehicle class elevated expressway that will traverse the C3 Road in Caloocan City, pass through Abad Santos, Blumentritt, Dimasalang, España, Magsaysay Boulevard, and eventually connect with the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The P23-billion NLEX Connector will feature four toll plazas and interchanges in C3 and España. It is seen to provide better access to Manila Ports (North Harbor) and airports (NAIA and Clark), and expected to reduce travel time between NLEX and South Luzon Expressway from two hours to just 20 minutes.
The project will also provide trucks with 24/7 alternative route, enabling unhampered delivery of goods and stimulating economic development in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and surrounding areas.