UPGRADE. The NLEX Corporation is implementing enhancement works along the Subic Freeport Expressway to pave the way for better and safer road infrastructure. With a total worth of PHP105 million, the enhancement works include pavement surface upgrade, construction of a ditch and slope protection, installation of guard rails, and application of hazard paint. (Photo courtesy of NLEX Corporation)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) is now undergoing PHP105-million worth of improvement works to pave the way for better and safer road infrastructure.
Among the enhancement works being implemented by the NLEX Corporation are pavement surface upgrade, construction of a ditch and slope protection, installation of guard rails, and application of hazard paint.
NLEX Corporation president J. Luigi L. Bautista said on Wednesday that all those improvements intend to make the SFEX and its surrounding slopes safer for motorists.
“We aim to make our roads safe for all weather conditions. With these enhancements, we expect to further protect motorists from roadside hazards by strengthening the slopes and improving the drainage system and other safety features at the SFEX,” Bautista said in a statement.
The pavement surface upgrade, which will help drain water away from the roadway, especially during heavy rains, covers a total length of 4,374 linear meters between the Jadjad and Argonaut bridges.
To stabilize the slopes and prevent erosion, a wire mesh is being installed and concrete is being applied on a 1,830-square meter portion of the SFEX.
Concrete barriers and other structures are painted with hazard warning markings to make motorists aware of potential risks.
In February 2021, NLEX Corporation completed the SFEX capacity expansion.
A total of 16.4 new lane kilometers, two new bridges, and a new tunnel were constructed as part of the PHP1.6-billion expansion project.
The tollway company also installed international standard LED lights, raised the elevation of the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction, and enhanced the area’s drainage system to boost motorists’ safety.
Bautista said this was undertaken despite the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in response to the need to accelerate business activities and facilitate the flow of goods and services between the economic zones in Clark and Subic.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation. (PNA)
