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The new and expanded section of the 8.2-kilometer Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX), initially set to be closed to motorists on January 15, will now continue to stay partially open
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SFEX will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. until fully completed next month
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The P1.6-billion SFEX Capacity Expansion project will increase the expressway’s capacity from one lane in each direction to two lanes
Instead of being available only until January 15, the new and expanded section of the 8.2-kilometer (km) Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) will now remain open to motorists from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. until its full completion next month.
This will provide continued convenience to motorists already using the new expressway and those traveling to and from the Subic area, concessionaire NLEX Corp. said in a statement.
Last December, NLEX Corp. initially said the new SFEX carriageway will only be available for the holidays until January 15, 2021, after which it will be closed to give way to the remaining construction works.
However, assessments and recent developments show the new road can stay open during the said hours even as works continue in some areas including the portion of Jadjad Bridge.
“We are keeping the new SFEX road partially open to the motoring public up to its target completion in February,” Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Mark Villar said. “With this, we can continue providing faster and safer access to and from Subic especially for businesses and logistics companies operating in the area as well for tourists.”
The P1.6-billion SFEX capacity expansion project aims to increase road capacity from one lane in each direction to two lanes in each direction with the construction of two additional lanes, bridges, and a new tunnel.
This will improve traffic safety, provide additional road capacity, and reduce travel time to and from Subic Bay Freeport.
Expressway-standard LED lights are also being installed, while the elevation of Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction was raised and the drainage system was enhanced to allow comfortable and easy journeys all year round.
NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista noted that “this will further help improve mobility as businesses in the Subic Bay Freeport are coming back on track from adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
For her part, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma said: “The move to continuously open the new lanes is very timely as it will ease the movement of people and goods in the Freeport and further develop Subic’s business and tourism prospects.”
From December 28, 2020 to January 11, 2021, more than 95,000 motorists were served by the new road.
The SFEX capacity expansion is seen to spur economic growth not just in Subic but in the entire region as well. It will complement Subic’s infrastructure program and help sustain Subic’s position as a globally competitive trade and tourism center.
