The Subic Freeport Expressway expansion project is now 50% complete

The NLEX Corporation has announced that its capacity expansion plan for the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) is now 50% complete. Last year the corporation started work on expanding the expressway with a P1.6-billion budget with the aim of not only increasing its capacity but also making sure it was safer for motorists to use.

The expansion project was originally planned to be finished by September of 2020. However, due to the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine periods that have been placed in various regions across the Philippines construction had to be delayed or halted. Work resumed again in mid-May after Enhanced Community Quarantine was lifted. Even with the delays, the NLEX Corporation states that the project is well underway and they are looking to finish it by the end of 2020.

By increasing the road capacity of SFEX, which traverses the provinces of Bataan and Zambales, transport of goods in and out of the Subic Freeport will be faster and easier. This would also mean that the expressway can accommodate more motorists at a given time.

J. Luigi L. Bautista
NLEX Corporation President and General Manager

He continues by stating that the project in partnership with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, we have also included in the project scope the raising of elevation of the Maritan Highway-Rizal and Highway-Tipo Road Junction and enhancing its drainage system to improve flood management in the area.

The project will also include the addition of two more lanes along the 8.2-kilometer expressway. Once the project is completed it will be able to handle more cars. Not only that but the SFEX will also feature LED lighting elements as standard and will be used in order to make night driving enjoyable and safe. The project will also feature a new tunnel that is being constructed adjacent to the existing one which will help improve the traffic flow in the area.