DPWH delivers right-of-way for NLEX Harbor Link

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the delivery of right-of-way (ROW) for the first section of NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, paving the way for lighter traffic in Metro Manila by December with its target opening.

“We are happy that our team was able to deliver 100 percent right-of-way for the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10. We hope we can finish this just in time for the Christmas rush to help ease the public’s traffic woes,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said yesterday, after inspecting the newly constructed portion of the project together with NLEX Corp. officials.

NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-kilometer (km) elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway Karuhatan in Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C3 Road in Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C3 Road and R10 in Navotas City.

The first section, of which the 100 percent right-of-way has been delivered, is now 83 percent complete, while the construction progress of the second section stands at five percent.

“Our target delivery date is by Christmas. So this will be passable by Christmas time. We will deliver our commitments to the Filipino people. We will deliver our commitments to decongest our major cities,” Villar said.

The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is envisioned to boost the country’s transport and logistics industry as cargo trucks will have 24/7 direct access from the port area to the northern provinces of Luzon and vice versa via the NLEX.

“30,000 a day is the minimum volume of vehicles that will pass through Harbor Link. All of these are trucks, Type 3 vehicles and not the small ones. So a lot of the traffic in Metro Manila will really be gone when this opens,” Villar said.

The elevated expressway is expected to decongest Metro Manila by providing an alternative entry to NLEX, bypassing EDSA and other busy streets of Manila.

Once opened, travel time from the Manila ports to NLEX will take approximately 10 minutes, instead of the current one hour, according to Villar.

Metro Pacific Tollways and NLEX Corp. president Rodrigo Franco said that aside from providing travel convenience, NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 would spur massive investments in its host communities.

Franco said the NLEX construction team is working non-stop to complete the project by the end of this year.