New interchange to rise in Pampanga

MANILA: A new interchange will be put up in Pampanga soon.

This, as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), and NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) Corporation have sealed the agreement for it.

To form part of the Greater Pampanga Circumferential Road Masterplan, the soon-to-rise Santo Tomas Interchange will be interconnected to future Lubao-Guagua-Minalin-Santo Tomas (LGMST) Bypass Road project of the DPWH.

The toll operator noted the interchange shall be linked to other infrastructure projects in the town, including a new hospital and a university.

“Mapalad ang Santo Tomas dahil ang bubuksan nating interchange dito ay magsisilbing daan tungo sa progreso ng bayang ito. Kami po sa DPWH ay katuwang ninyo sa pagsasakatuparang ng mga proyektong naglalayong mapagaan at mapagandan ang buhay ng mga mamamayang Pilipino (Blessed is the town of Sto. Tomas because the interchange we will open here will serve as a road to progress. We at the DPWH are your partners in the implementation of projects that aim to ease and improve the lives of the Filipino people),” DPWH Region III Director Engr. Roseller Tolentino said.

For her part, Pampanga Fourth District Representative Anna York Bondoc-Sagum expressed firm belief that the project will benefit the whole southern portion of the province. “With the opening of our NLEX (Sto. Tomas) Interchange, I see us being one of the most progressive areas,” she said.

 “Sobra po ang magiging impact sa amin sa pag dami ng businesses, pagtaas ng land value, new economic opportunities, more jobs, pati more investors,” the lawmaker added.

Meanwhile, Mayor Johnny Sambo shared his excitement towards the project, saying that the upcoming project will be an instrument in achieving the municipality’s goal of bringing progress to the town.

Once completed, the Santo Tomas Interchange is expected to alleviate the traffic condition in the Olongapo-Gapan Road by bringing NLEX closer to the towns in the west — serving as a solution to the growing demand in the region driven by agro-industrial growth.

On behalf of TRB, Executive Director Alvin Carullo shared the board’s support for the project. “As long as it's technically, financially, and legally-feasible, we will defend all projects like this that will spur economic development.”

Further, MPTC President and Chief Executive Rogelio Singson emphasized that the Metro Pacific Tollway Corporation’s goal is to address the needs of the communities being traversed by its expressways. This is aligned with MPTC’s vision to propel economic growth and national progress by responsibly connecting communities.

The aforementioned interchange is one of the numerous infrastructure projects in Pampanga. Other traffic-mitigation endeavors in the area include the NLEX Candaba Third Viaduct Project (eyed to be finished by November 2024) as well as the expansion of NLEX in San Fernando to Sta. Ines in Mabalacat, Pampanga (targeted to start in the second quarter of 2024). 

Photos from NLEX Corporation, Department of Public Works and Highways

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