-
Toll collection on the northbound portion of North Luzon Expressway from Balintawak to Meycauayan is suspended from 1 am on June 22 until midnight on June 23, according to toll operator NLEX Corp
-
The toll relief is in effect to facilitate repair of Marilao Overpass Bridge, struck by a truck that exceeded the structure’s vertical clearance
-
While not part of its concession, NLEX Corp. said it will nonetheless conduct repairs on the bridge to ensure its structural integrity for the safety of NLEX motorists
-
NLEX Corp. is offering to construct a new and upgraded bridge
Toll collection on the northbound portion of North Luzon Expressway from Balintawak to Meycauayan is suspended from 1 am on June 22 until midnight on June 23, toll operator NLEX Corp. said in a statement.
The toll relief is in effect to facilitate repair of Marilao Overpass Bridge, recently struck by a truck that exceeded the vertical clearance of the bridge.
The Marilao bridge is part of the road network of Bulacan and was constructed prior to the rehabilitation of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and presently has a vertical clearance of 4.27 meters in both directions.
While it is not part of its concession, NLEX Corp. said it will nonetheless conduct necessary repairs on the bridge to ensure its structural integrity for the safety of NLEX motorists.
For the past several years, NLEX Corp. said it has actively sought support from the government for the structural upgrading of Marilao Overpass Bridge.
“In the interest of public safety, NLEX offers to construct a new and upgraded bridge to support the plans of the relevant national and local government agencies,” NLEX Corp. said.
A truck was traveling northbound on June 19 when the container van it was carrying hit the bridge’s beam, which then hit an AUV causing it to overturn resulting in one death and six injuries, according to the Marilao Police Station.
Prior to this, a truck had also hit the same bridge last March, causing heavy traffic and closure of some lanes, which were opened again after a week.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) directed NLEX Corp. earlier to immediately suspend collection of toll in the Marilao northbound segment of the expressway until all four lanes are passable.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed DOTr and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to ensure motorists and commuters who will use the affected expressway will be compensated for the lost time due to traffic caused by the incident.
NLEX Corp. was also directed to extend assistance to the family of the fatality, as well as to the other injured persons, including a two-year-old child, hit by the bridge girder because of the vehicle mishap.
The concessionaire was also ordered to explain the seemingly lack of oversight after a similar incident happened barely three months ago.
