PULILAN, Bulacan—The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) will open wider lanes in its Bulacan and Pampanga section this December through the opening of the Candaba Viaduct 3 that will improve the transportation efficiency in the region.
J. Luigi Bautista, president and general manager of NLEX Corporation with Pampanga Fourth District Rep. Anna York Bondoc, Mayor Maritz Ochoa-Montejo of Pulilan, San Simon, Pampanga Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr.; Apalit, Pampanga Vice Mayor Pedro Nucom and other officials in the two provinces inspected the viaduct and conducted a test run on the structure on Wednesday.
Bautista said the Candaba Viaduct 3, which is part of the company’s decongestion program and is being built to modern standards, is already 97 percent completed and will be ready to serve motorists in time for the Holiday Season next month.
“We will formally inaugurate and open this on Dec. 10 or 11,” Bautista told reporters.
The regular 350,000 daily NLEX motorists are expected to increase by 10% during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, he said.
Viaduct 3 is a three-lane 5 kilometer elevated bridge constructed in the middle area of the existing north and south bound lanes of the Candaba viaduct which are additional lanes that widen and expand the south bound lanes of the structure enabling greater mobility for motorists and businesses and boosting socio-economic growth.
Bautista said the Viaduct 3 will make motorists experience a much speedier and comfortable travel bound to Metro Manila.
According to the NLEX Corp. head, the Viaduct 3 will be opened to the public next month, six months ahead of the June 2025 targeted completion. It began construction in June 2023.
Due for completion is Zone 3. Zone 1 which is the Pulilan section was completed in August this year and the Zone 2 Apalit section became operational in October.
“As we move towards the completion of its zone 3 and the opening of the entire central infill, the Candaba 3rd Viaduct is set to improve transportation efficiency and boost the local economy through increased trade and mobility,” Bautista said.
Bautista told NEWS CORE that the new viaduct will also augment its existing south bound lane when it undergoes rehabilitation.
The Candaba viaduct, built above the rice fields of Bulacan and Pampanga was built in the 1970’s.
