BCDA Gears Up for April SCTEx Opening

CLARK FREE PORT—Preparations are under way for the opening of the 93.77-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) as workers are about to wind up construction of the road project.

Officials of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) that oversees the construction of the expressway said work is already in the “punch listing” or final stages, adding that the project would be completed in time for the scheduled inauguration at the end of April.

The four-lane divided toll road not only connects two of the country’s most important economic zones in Central Luzon—the Subic Bay Free- Port in Zambales and the Clark Free- Port Zone in Pampanga—but also provides a very convenient access to the emerging economic centers further north in Tarlac and up to La Union province.

BCDA-SCTEx spokesman and SCTEx program manager Robert Gervacio said only about 6 percent of the project, consisting of miscellaneous structures such as guard rails and fences as well as rectification works, remain to be done.

“We are definitely on track for the April opening,” Gervacio said.

Construction of the SCTEx is divided into two packages to speed up completion. Package 1 covers the 50.5-kilometer stretch between Subic and Clark, while Package 2 comprises the 43.27-kilometer Clark-Tarlac section.

The SCTEx has 34 bridges, four of which are considered major spans (300 meters or more long) that are now undergoing final inspection. The four major bridges are the Sacobia-Bamban Bridge, which is the longest at 1.16 kilometers, the 318-meter Gumain Bridge, the 720-meter Pasig-Potrero Bridge and the 400-meter Porac River Bridge.

The expressway also has eight interchanges: the Tipo Junction, the Dinalupihan Interchange, the Clark Logistics Interchange, the Spur/North Luzon Expressway Interchange, the Clark North Interchange, the Concepcion Interchange and the San Miguel Interchange.

On orders of President Arroyo, three more interchanges will be constructed, bringing the total to 11. The additional interchanges are the Clark South Interchange, the Porac Interchange in Dolores and the Basa Interchange in Floridablanca.

Economist Bernardo Villegas cited the rapid pace of construction, adding that once operational, the world-class toll way will generate wide business and investment opportunities in the host provinces in just three to six months. He stressed that Central Luzon could now position itself as a global gateway.

Villegas views the SCTEx as a “growth engine” that would spur the region’s economic development, creating wider opportunities for investment, trade and employment in its host provinces.

The SCTEx is expected to dramatically cut travel time between Clark and Subic to only 40 minutes, and 30 minutes between Clark and Tarlac. At more than 93 kilometers, the SCTEx will be the country’s longest toll way.

A flagship project of President Arroyo, the SCTEx is among the mega-projects designed to transform Central and Northern Luzon into a super region. It is expected to serve as the new economic backbone for growth areas north of Metro Manila.

By Jacob Cunanan
Business Mirror Source

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