By Paula C. Caliboso
The NLEX Candaba Viaduct is an elevated highway which has two 5-km long independent bridges that connect Pulilan, Bulacan, and Apalit, Pampanga. Since the infrastructure has been built decades ago, it needed a series of major rehabilitation and upgrading to ensure road safety and address its long-term serviceability.
This upgrade gets support from the LGUs and Private Sectors that were affected by the construction. Some of them expressed their thoughts on this:
“To preserve the vital function of the Viaduct as a critical link between the National Capital Region and the North and Central Luzon areas, upgrading and rehabilitation works are needed. We extend our support for transport infrastructure programs that will uphold and ensure the safe, unhampered, and on-time delivery of critical goods and services nationwide,” said PamCham President Renato Romero.
“The Pampanga provincial government is supporting the Candaba Viaduct upgrade because this will bring greater development to us.” – Pampanga Governor, Dennis Pineda
“Napapanahon na po ang rehabilitasyon ng viaduct kaya sinusuportahan natin ang NLEX sa hakbang na ito.” Said Mayor Oscar Tetangco, Apalit Pampanga.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa pamunuan ng NLEX sa pagbibigay ng importansya sa safety concerns naming taga-Norte. Buo ang suporta namin sa pagsasagawa ng rehabilitasyon ng Viaduct,” said Inton.
“Together with our traffic management team and in coordination with nearby localities, we would be exerting our best effort para mapagaan pa rin ang trapiko para sa ating mga kababayan,” Malolos City Mayor Gilbert Gatchalian affirmed.
The first of a series of upgrading, which started last August 2020, was the Manila-bound or the Southbound of the viaduct – installation and dismantling of the Bailey bridge. The second set of upgrades was started on February 2022, which is the Northbound portion of the bridge and that is to replace the 13 priority link slabs that connect bridge deck spans that also provide better driving for our motorists.
Since the works will experience potential traffic congestion, a series of different traffic advisories were posted as motorists needed to slow down – small cars needed to use the temporary 31-meter fabricated steel to be able to cross over the construction and the rerouting of Cargo and 12-wheeler trucks for safety reasons. Also, patrol crews and traffic marshals are deployed to minimize heavy traffic.
Part of the major rehabilitation and improvement is the construction of the third bridge will take place 4th quarter of this year. NLEX Corporation is set to award this October 2022 which Contractor is the winning bidder.
The Candaba Viaduct has been really helping businesses and individuals’ mobility. The ongoing project will give the bridge long-term viability that partakes as a vital road link between Pampanga and Bulacan.
Sources:
https://nlex.com.ph/2021/02/08/nlex-continues-upgrade-on-candaba-viaduct/
Paula C. Caliboso, Tollways Development and Engineering. Pau is an adventurous person who is willing to try just about anything. She also enjoys acting and joining contests. She is also into traveling and she loves to capture every moment of it so she does vlogging, and that led her to join Northlink, as she thinks this will help her improve her skills.
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