Motorists, commuters, and truckers bound for the cities of Malabon, Caloocan and Navotas —who currently face the daily traffic gridlock of Metro Manila—are set to enjoy some relief with the opening of the NLEX Harbor Link Malabon Exit.
This was cited by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar during the inaugural drive-thru and opening of the Malabon Exit, the newest access from Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road to Dagat-Dagatan Avenue. With him were NLEX Corporation officials led by its president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista.
“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,” Villar said.
“When we open the entire C3-R10 Section next month, travel time will be reduced from 60 to 10 minutes.”
“In the meantime, we are opening this new Malabon Exit to provide immediate relief from the daily bumper-to-bumper traffic in the CAMANAVA (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valebzuela) area especially along C3 Road. When we open the entire C3-R10 Section next month, travel time between NLEX and the CAMANAVA area will be reduced from 60 to 10 minutes, or a savings of 50 minutes,” the public works chief added.
For its part, NLEX Corporation is committed to support the government’s aim to relieve traffic congestion in Metro Manila through high impact infrastructure projects such as the NLEX Harbor Link that improves commuter mobility between airports, seaports, and growth corridors in both 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,” said Bautista.
Bautista explained that the tollway company decided to open the Malabon Exit a month before the whole NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section is completed in response to the clamor of motorists for immediate relief from the heavy traffic in the CAMANAVA area. Construction works are still ongoing for the rest of the Harbor Link alignment.
“We can already see a light at the end of the tunnel as we are targeting the full opening of NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 section next month,” the public works head added.
The Malabon Exit is part of the 2.6-kilometer elevated NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section between the new Caloocan Interchange in C3 Road, Caloocan City to the Radial Road 10 in Navotas City, connecting the previously opened 5.65-kilometer NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 that traverses Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon City, and 5th Avenue/C3 Road, Caloocan City.
Aside from significantly easing up the daily traffic congestion and serving as an alternate route to Dagat-Dagatan Avenue, the Malabon Exit also aims to open up development potentials in the area.
“This new exit intends to further unlock the tourism and business potentials of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and neighboring cities.”
“Beyond providing safe and hassle-free daily travel, this new exit intends to further unlock the tourism and business potentials of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and neighboring cities,” Bautista noted, adding that “NLEX is aiming to create an enabling business environment and bring in more opportunities to CAMANAVA.”
This new Malabon Exit also ignited optimism for the future of the City of Malabon.
Mayor Antolin Oreta said, “We are happy with the opening of the Malabon Exit which will definitely decongest traffic and improve the accessibility of our city from those coming from the North and Central Luzon areas.”
The NLEX Harbor Link is one of the high impact projects of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.