Motorists plying the SCTEX are expected to have safer travels as NLEX Corporation completed the road-raising project in Dinalupihan and roadway lighting and safety devices installation in Hermosa, both in the province of Bataan, on December 2.
NLEX and Bataan officials marked the milestone with a drive-through inspection of the newly completed projects.
Leading the event were Hermosa Mayor Antonio Joseph Inton, Dinalupihan Mayor German Santos Jr., Vice Mayor Fernando Manalili, Bataan Board Member Romano del Rosario representing Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III, NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, Vice President for Asset Management Jennifer Jane Go, Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management Donna Marcelo, and Vice President for Operations West Dionisio.
Earlier this year, the tollway company started the P150-million road-raising project in a 640-meter stretch of SCTEX Dinalupihan to mitigate the risk of flooding in the area. It raised the elevation of the road as high as 1.8 meters and constructed additional box culverts and new drainage structures to ensure safe passage of motorists even during inclement weather conditions. The new culverts can handle huge amounts of water and help drain the water easily, preventing flooding. The company also installed vetiver grass to reduce soil erosion.
“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,” said NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, highlighting that ensuring public safety has always been at the forefront of expressway operations.
Bataan Board Member Romano del Rosario representing Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III acknowledged the contribution 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 motorist,” he said.
Dinalupihan Mayor German Santos Jr. appreciated the project, as this would definitely help ease the flooding in his municipality.
He said: “Makakatulog na po nang mahimbing ang ating mga kababayan. Maraming salamat po sa inyong malasakit.”
NLEX Corp. also installed LED lights and safety devices between the SCTEX Dinalupihan Spur and Roman Highway in Hermosa, Bataan to guide motorists especially at night. Last August, NLEX and the local government of Hermosa inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for these enhancements.
Covering approximately two kilometers, the improvement projects in Hermosa 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 added.
Affirming the company’s commitment to safety, NLEX is the first tollway firm in the country to be certified and recertified for ISO 39001:2012 Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS).
“This is a testament of NLEX’s commitment to road safety and more importantly, it clearly shows that our partnership is getting stronger,” said Hermosa Mayor Antonio Joseph Inton.
Dinalupihan Vice Mayor Fernando 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.”
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
