THE NLEX Harbor Link Malabon Exit was opened on Friday, which aims to address traffic in northern Metro Manila.

North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corp. said in a statement on Friday said the exit is the newest access road from Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road to Dagat-Dagatan Avenue.

“About 30,000 motorists per day will stand to benefit from this new road once the entire Harbor Link C3-R10 Section is fully completed, helping reduce travel time for the traffic-weary public, providing more turnaround trips for the trucking sector, and growing businesses for merchants and local communities,” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar said during the inaugural drive-thru and opening.

The Malabon exit was opened ahead of the whole NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 section to relieve traffic in the northern Metro Manila area. Construction is still ongoing for the rest of the Harbor Link segment.

Mr. Villas said the opening of the entire C3-R10 section next month would reduce travel time between NLEX and CAMANAVA from 60 to 10 minutes. CAMANAVA is the northern Manila areas of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela.

The elevated NLEX Harbor link C3-R10 is the 2.6-kilometer segment that goes through the new Caloocan Interchange in C3 Road, Caloocan City to Radial Road 10, and Navotas City. This connects to the previously opened NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 that traverses Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon City, and 5th Avenue/C3 Road, Caloocan City.

NLEX Corp. said NLEX Harbor Link is intended to improve commuter mobility between airports, seaports, and growth corridors in the north and south.

“We are cognizant of the government’s desire to find quick solutions to the traffic problem in Metro Manila. That is why aside from expediting the completion of the entire project, we have also rationalized our construction sequence and resource planning to accommodate the early opening of this Malabon Exit,” NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista said.

NLEX Corp. is under Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is one of the three Philippine units of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. along with PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. — Jenina P. Ibañez

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