NLEX, SCTEX operations ready for the long holidays

Tollways Management Corporation, the operator of North Luzon Expressway, Subic Freeport Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway expects an increase of 10% to 15% of normal traffic volume in NLEX from 130,000 to 140,000 vehicles per day, while in SFEX and SCTEX-Subic side, an increase from the average day of 2,500 to 3,000 vehicles per day to approximately 10,000 transactions per day.

With this increase, traffic build-up in plazas may be experienced going North at the Balintawak, Sta. Rita, San Fernando, and Dau Toll Plazas in NLEX, Tipo Toll Plaza in SFEX, and the NLEX/Mabalacat, Tipo, Dinalupihan, and Tarlac City Interchanges in SCTEX starting from 5pm onwards on December 24, Wednesday.

The same increase in traffic build-up is also expected on the way back to Manila as early as January 3 in the NLEX/Mabalacat Interchange starting 10am especially for those coming from Subic and Tarlac, as well as other Northern provinces using SCTEX. The Tipo Toll Plaza in SFEX and the Bocaue Toll Plaza in NLEX will experience build-up on January 4 to 5 from 6 to 9am and 3pm onwards.

TMC also expects a traffic build-up in the following areas:

• Toll Service Facilities in NLEX due to motorists parking their vehicles for stop-over and pit-stop.

• Sta. Rita Interchange (North bound) due to motorists taking the Sta. Rita local road or Maharlika Highway going to the Cagayan Valley and Aurora provinces.

• Vehicle breakdown on shoulders and the expressway.

Traffic may be expected by motorists in the lateral national and provincial roads. Motorists should be alerted to monitor alternative routes to destinations through the electronic Variable Message Signs located in the entry points of the NLEX.

For alternative routes, motorists can take San Fernando, Mexico and Angeles Exits if going north bound to avoid the traffic congestion at the Dau Toll Plaza.

Motorists can also take the NLEX/Mabalacat Interchange and proceed to the Tarlac City Interchange to go to the Northern provinces such as Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Baguio, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, as well as Zambales to spend their Christmas holidays.

While resources are sufficient to address the expected increase in traffic volume, the company takes additional measures to ensure that travel within NLEX, SFEX, and SCTEX is on-time, safe, secure and comfortable. There will be no repair works on the pavement or on bridges in NLEX during the holiday season.

For Toll Operations, both NLEX and SCTEX toll lanes will be open, especially during the peak hours of the major toll plazas particularly: Balintawak, Dau, Bocaue (for Jan 4 to 5, going back to Manila), NLEX/Mabalacat (Formerly Clark Logistics), Tipo, Dinalupihan and Tarlac.

In NLEX, additional 15-20 ambulant tellers will be provided in the Balintawak Toll Plaza for to avoid toll booth queuing. If traffic build-up occurs at the Dau Toll Plaza, ambulant tellers will be added to speed up traffic movement. In SCTEX, opening of the shoulder and two counterflows will also be implemented to accommodate more motorists in processing toll fee transactions. Ambulant tellers will also be added for NLEX/Mabalacat, Tipo, Dinalupihan, and Tarlac exits if traffic volume continuous to rise to prevent long toll booth queuing.