NLEX Candaba southbound repair starts July 11
Urgent major safety upgrade to be conducted on NLEX Candaba Viaduct southbound
Heads up motorists, the NLEX Corporation will be conducting major rehabilitation works on one of the NLEX's major segments, the Candaba Viaduct.
In order to ensure the integrity of the said viaduct, an urgent major safety upgrade of the southbound portion of the infrastructure will be conducted starting July 11, 2022. As a result, NLEX Corporation will be putting up a rerouting plan for trucks with 12 wheels or more next week.
“Upon the inspection and reassessment of AMH Philippines, our engineering consultant, the southbound viaduct is still being adversely affected by heavy loads and in the interest of public safety, there is an immediate precautionary need to restrict the weight of vehicles traveling on it, while the retrofitting of the structure is ongoing,” said J. Luigi L. Bautista, president of NLEX Corporation.
AMG Philippines also recommended addressing the issue as soon as possible in order for the safety and long-term serviceability of the Candaba Viaduct. In addition, the limits for trucks using the southbound section should only be a maximum of 10 wheels, and should not exceed 33 tons. This means Class 1 and Class 2 vehicles, as well as 10-wheeler trucks below 33 tons, will still be allowed to use the southbound portion.
As for the traffic rerouting plan, big rigs can choose from two routes. The first one involves trucks exiting at Angeles and then going to San Fernando in Pampanga, heading towards Gapan, Nueva Ecija, and then making their way to San Rafael before entering NLEX at the Balagtas Interchange. Truckers can also choose to go to exit at Mabalacat, head to Gapan, Nueva Ecija, go to San Rafael in Bulacan, and then enter NLEX via the Balagtas Interchange.
Truck drivers will have to take note, however, that they will only be allowed to take the detours during window hours. Depending on their schedule, they can take either route between the hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM or 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
To minimize traffic slowdowns and to guide motorists within the repair site, NLEX Corp. will deploy patrol crews and traffic marshals, and place direction signages at strategic locations. Traffic updates will also be posted on electronic billboards and announced via social media.
The rerouting scheme will affect the San Fernando and San Simon toll plazas. For their convenience, motorists are advised to have their RFIDs installed and ensure that their accounts are updated and have sufficient load.
There is no exact timeline as to when the rehabilitation works along the southbound portion of the Candaba Viaduct will be finished. But since it will involve a major upgrade, we can expect the repairs to take some time. With that, plan your trips accordingly and be prepared to be a bit more patient when driving along the viaduct going south.
