After officially starting work on the 5-km Candaba 3rd Viaduct project last June 2023, NLEX Corporation has announced that it has reached a significant milestone.

The tollway company successfully installed the first girder on the ongoing 3rd viaduct project. This signifies that work on the infrastructure has reached the halfway mark. More importantly, the first girder installation marks the transition from heavy groundwork construction to road-level work.

For NLEX Corporation, this will minimize the project’s dependence on ground access and will ensure work can continue in all weather conditions. The significant milestone also coincides with the project’s attainment of the one million safe manhours which highlights the company’s advocacy in a safe and conductive work environment in the construction of NLEX’s Candaba 3rd Viaduct.

“This remarkable achievement shows NLEX’s commitment to complete the project by November 2024. We are very glad that our chosen construction partner, Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited, is one with us in our objective to expedite work on the project while prioritizing the safety of all workers and ensuring the structural soundness of the new bridge,” said J. Luigi L. Bautista, NLEX Corporation president & General Manager.

The entire project will span 5 kilometers and will be situated between two existing bridges that connect the towns of Pulilan in Bulacan & Apalit in Pampanga. Once complete, the improved Candaba Viaduct will be widened to three lanes with inner and outer shoulders in each direction for improved safety & mobility.

With the entire viaduct itself now over 50 years old, the addition of a third viaduct to make it wider will ensure that the bridge will be able to serve more motorists, while also delivering improved vehicle safety & capacity.