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The first phase of the Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase I is expected to be completed by July 2025
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By then operational connectivity may be achieved between the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway in Tarlac City and Maharlika Highway in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija
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Contract Package 4 – a 10.30-kilometer segment known as the Cabanatuan Section – is now 98% complete
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Contract Package 5 or the Zaragoza Interchange is currently 73.46% complete and is expected to be finished by the third quarter of 2025
The first phase of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase I is expected to be completed by July 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a statement.
By then operational connectivity may be achieved between the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in Tarlac City and Maharlika Highway in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
Contract Package 4 – a 10.30-kilometer (km) segment known as the Cabanatuan Section – is now 98% complete, according to an inspection report by Public Works senior undersecretary Emil Sadain.
This is despite facing a nearly two-year delay due to right-of-way issues, noted Sadain, who is in-charge of DPWH infrastructure flagship projects funded through official development assistance.
Contract Package 4 is part of the 29.55 km, four-lane expressway expected to reduce travel time between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes, benefitting over 11,200 motorists daily.
Key components of the Contract Package 4 under contract with Qingdao Municipal Construction Group Co., Ltd., includes one interchange; three bridges; eight reinforced concrete box culverts; seven farm passages; multiple underpasses; and asphalt pavement works.
Meanwhile, Contract Package 5 or the Zaragoza Interchange is being constructed by the Pacific Concrete Products, Inc. and China Construction First Group Corp. Ltd. Consortium, and is currently 73.46% complete.
This segment involves: Zaragoza Interchange Bridge (113.4 linear meters); 4.88 km access road; two bridges (19.4 linear meters); five equalizer reinforced concrete box culverts; two farm passages; and seven irrigation canals.
Completion of Contract Package 5 is expected within the third quarter of 2025. While most of CLLEX is funded through a loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), this package is fully financed by the Philippine government.
Once completed, CLLEX Phase I is expected to provide a fast, safe, and reliable route across Region III, significantly boosting logistics, reducing traffic congestion, and linking urban centers with key agricultural zones, said DPWH.
