THE three-kilometer Sta. Mesa section of the NLEX Connector Road, being built by a Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) unit, is now 46% complete, the company said Saturday.
The project, operated by NLEX Corp., is the final section of the eight-kilometer connector road, which aims to cut the travel time between NLEX and SLEX to 15-20 minutes from more than an hour.
“NLEX is also ramping up the completion of the next three-kilometer section of the NLEX Connector from España to Sta. Mesa. Construction progress of the said segment is at 46%,” the company said in a statement.
The second section will traverse España Blvd. up to the vicinity of Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
More than 800,000 motorists have used the first section of the NLEX Connector Road, NLEX Corp said.
The toll road, which is currently free for a limited time, provides motorists with an alternative route from C3 Road in Caloocan City to the Sampaloc district of Manila.
NLEX Corp. said that it has received testimonials from users citing the benefits to businesses in the University Belt and nearby areas.
“The comments we received from the motorists only prove that indeed NLEX Connector has been serving its purpose of increasing productivity as it helps ease the travel of motorists and commuters,” NLEX Corp. President J. Luigi L. Bautista said.
Mr. Bautista has said that the company hopes to complete the whole project by the end of June, assuming the company acquires all the right of way needed.
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
