Road raising, safety device installation projects in SCTEX now complete

MANILA: NLEX Corporation has completed the road raising project in SCTEX Dinalupihan and installed roadway lighting and safety devices in SCTEX Hermosa, both in the province of Bataan. With the completion of these improvement projects, it is expected that motorists traveling across SCTEX will have safer trips.

NLEX and Bataan officials celebrated the completion with a drive-through inspection of the recently finished projects. The event was led by Hermosa Mayor Antonio Joseph Inton, Dinalupihan Mayor German Santos Jr., Dinalupihan Vice Mayor Fernando Manalili, Bataan Board Member Romano Del Rosario, NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi Bautista, NLEX Corporation Vice President for Asset Management Jennifer Jane Go, NLEX Corporation Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management Donna Marcelo, and NLEX Corporation Vice President for Operations West Dionisio.

To reduce the risk of floods in the area, the tollway company started the P150 million road raising project in a 640-meter stretch of SCTEX Dinalupihan earlier this year. In order to guarantee motorists' safety even during bad weather, it raised the elevation of the road by up to 1.8 meters, added box culverts, and built new drainage infrastructure. The new culverts can easily drain large volumes of water and bear heavy loads, reducing flooding. To prevent soil erosion, the company also installed vetiver grass.

“By raising this part of the expressway, we are not only providing safer journeys to our motorists, but we are also enabling our infrastructure to be more efficient and capable of withstanding severe weather events in the future,” Bautista stated, emphasizing that maintaining public safety has always been a top priority for expressway operations.

Meanwhile, Del Rosario commended the role of NLEX-SCTEX in the development of the province. “Malaki po ang ambag ng expressway sa development ng ating bayan. Ang mga proyekto pong ito ay makakasiguro na makakapagbiyahe nang maayos ang mga motorista (The expressway has a significant contribution to the development of our province. These projects will guarantee smooth travels to the motorists),” he said.

Santos also expressed his appreciation for the project as it will undoubtedly minimize the floods in his municipality. “Makakatulog na po nang mahimbing ang ating mga kababayan. Maraming salamat po sa inyong malasakit (Our townsmen will now be able to sleep soundly. Thank you very much for your concern),” he said.

In order to help drivers, especially at night, NLEX Corporation also installed LED lighting and safety equipment between the SCTEX Dinalupihan Spur and Roman Highway in Hermosa, Bataan. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for these improvements was signed by NLEX and the Hermosa municipal government in August.

The Hermosa improvement projects span about two kilometers and include light poles, directional signs, bollards, and reflectorized metal strips.

“We are also aiming to make night driving better through new brighter lights and signs, aside from making our roads more reliable. With these, we can reduce potential hazards caused by poor visibility and lack of traffic signs,” Bautista stated.

NLEX is the first tollway corporation in the country to be recognized and recertified for ISO 39001:2012 Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS), proving the company's commitment to safety.

“This is a testament of NLEX’s commitment to road safety and more importantly, it clearly shows that our partnership is getting stronger,” Inton said.

Meanwhile, Manalili said, “Mapalad po kaming mga taga-Dinalupihan na kasama po kami sa growth and development dito. Sana magkaroon pa po ng maraming improvement sa SCTEX lalo na sa mga intersection (We, the residents of Dinalupihan, are fortunate to be included in this growth and development. I am hoping that there will be more improvements in SCTEX, especially in intersections).”

NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road division of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).

Photos from NLEX Corporation

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