After integration, travel time from Balintawak to Tarlac will be reduced from 2 hours to 1 hour and ten minutes. FILE PHOTO: SCTEX toll plaza. MON JOCSON / UNTV News.
PAMPANGA, Philippines — Beginning this second quarter of 2016, the North Luzon Expressway or NLEX and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway will be integrated to shorten travel time of motorists travelling to Northern Luzon.
The Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) will start the integration process with the removal of Dau Toll plaza along with the turnover of SCTEX to MNTC by Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
The long queues of vehicles in Dau will be mitigated once the toll booths are removed.
Currently, there are five stops at toll plazas when going to Subic, while going to Tarlac has four. Once the integration is in effect, there will only be two stops.
When the integration of NLEX and SCTEX begins and the toll plazas removed, travel time will be shorter. At present, travel time from Balintawak to Tarlac takes two hours. After the integration it will be reduced to one hour and ten minutes.
MNTC will also start the improvements on SCTEX where 35,000 vehicles pass daily.
This year, MNTC will begin the three-year asphalt overlay on SCTEX. Once completed by the year 2018, motorists will experience faster and smoother travel. The asphalt overlay will be paved during dry months.
CCTV cameras will be installed along SCTEX for real time monitoring and faster response by rescuers during accidents.
MNTC clarified that there will be no increase in toll fees which will remain at P218. Manila North Tollways Corporation has a pending toll hike request at the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) for this year.
MNTC Assistant Vice President Glen Campos said, “Walang pagbabago sa toll, binago lang yung mga location kung saan mangongolekta ng toll fee, pero yung composition ng toll pinag combine namin yung NLEX at SCTEX toll minsan lang sisingilin, pag kinompute kung ano sinisingil ngayon, yun din total ng toll na sisingilin.”
(The toll remains the same. Only the location where the collection is conducted will be changed. But the composition of the toll… we are combining the NLEX and SCTEX toll to consolidate them into one payment. When computed, the rate will be the same as what is currently being charged.)
Under the SCTEX agreement, the MNTC will be responsible for the maintenance of the expressway including the toll collection, traffic safety and security, facilities including landscaping, public relations and marketing. (MON JOCSON / UNTV News)
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