TPLEX open soon; Baguio-Manila travel time less by 2 hours

By Mar T. Supnad

TARLAC -- The 89-kilometer Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) will be partially opened to motorists by May 2013, shortening travel to Baguio, Ilocos, Manila by almost two hours.

This was the statement of TPLEX officials during recent meetings with concerned agencies of the government.

“Although the completion of the project is set to be earlier than the new proposed date, some issues and concerns were being taken cared of before we could begin a particular segment such as right of way problems," TPLEX project manager Johnson Villar said in a meeting with the project monitoring committee of the Regional Development Council and independent consultants.

He said some lot property owners have put up barricades in their areas to disrupt construction activities until they receive full payment in spite of an already issued writ of possession to their properties.
           

Villar said heavy rains and severe flooding also resulted in suspension of work due to unfavorable ground conditions at site, hence incurring huge slippage.

TPLEX links the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway SCTEX) and the North Luzon Expressway, thus shortening the travel from Subic and Manila to possibly five hours.

The Super highway was being constructed by an all-Filipino consortium composed of R.D. Policarpio and Co. Inc., C.M. Pancho Construction Inc., New Kanlaon Construction Inc., D.M. Wenceslao and Associates Inc., J.E. Manalo and Co. Inc., and D.M. Consunji, Inc. 
           

The super highway was initially eyed to have two lanes and subsequently expanded to four when capacity reaches 25,000 vehicles per day TPLEX operators said.
           

Once becomes fully operational by July 2014, it will cut travel time tremendously  to Ilocos provinces, Pangasinan, Cordillera and Central Luzon regions  as it will be linked to the North Luzon and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressways.