To ensure seamless travel for motorists, NLEX Corporation will implement additional traffic management measures from October 28 to November 2 in anticipation of the increased traffic volume this coming All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
The intensified operations are part of the “Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko” motorist assistance program of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) aimed at enhancing expressway services for a safer and more convenient travel.
“For 13 years that we have been doing the SMSK, our priority remains the same: to make sure that our motorists will have safe, efficient, and enjoyable travel experience,” said NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, adding that “We will heighten our operations as we are projecting an increase of around 10 percent in our average daily traffic of 278,000 at NLEX and 71,000 at the SCTEX.”
With vehicular traffic expected to grow, traffic and toll operations teams will have full deployment to manage the traffic and assist motorists during the long holiday weekend. Over 1,000 patrol crews, traffic marshals, security teams, incident response teams, and toll lane personnel will be fielded to ensure safety and provide immediate assistance to travelers. Emergency medical services will also be augmented.
From October 28 to November 2, high volume plazas such as Balintawak, Mindanao, Karuhatan, Valenzuela (Paso de Blas), Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Sta. Rita, Pulilan, San Simon, San Fernando, Clark South, Tarlac, Tipo, and SFEX will be closely monitored.
Motorists are encouraged to travel during non-peak hours to avoid delays and inconvenience.
During the same period, additional directional and road safety signs will be installed at strategic areas to further guide motorists. Construction and lane closures along the mainline road of NLEX-SCTEX will be suspended, except at the Candaba Viaduct and areas where safety repairs will be necessary.
As the Candaba Viaduct undergoes repairs, only two lanes on the southbound portion are open for motorists. The leftmost lane is for large trucks or Class 3 vehicles while the rightmost lane is for light vehicles or Class 1. Due to limited capacity at the said bridge, Class 3 will be restricted at both bounds from November 1, 12:00 midnight to November 2, 12:00 noon.
Counterflow scheme will be implemented at select locations along the NLEX northbound direction from October 28 to 31 and along the southbound direction from November 1 to November 2.
Like in the previous SMSK, free towing service to the nearest exit will be available for Class 1 from October 28, 6:00 a.m. to November 2, 6:00 a.m.
The NLEX management is reminding motorists to check their vehicles before traveling as well as ensure that they are fit drive to avoid any untoward incidents. It is also encouraging motorists to travel during non-peak periods as the management expects surge of travelers in the afternoon to late night of October 28, 30, 31, and November 1 as well as in the early morning to afternoon of October 29, November 1, and 2.
To further facilitate faster and safer trips, the tollway company is encouraging cash-paying motorists to shift to RFID to avoid queuing at the cash lanes. Those who have no RFID may have the sticker installed for free and pay the initial load.
Existing RFID users are advised to make sure that their accounts have sufficient balance. For the complete list of installation sites and reloading options, motorists may visit the Easytrip website www.easytrip.ph or download the MPT DriveHub app which can be used for RFID transactions, trip planning, and emergency roadside assistance.
To better serve motorists, all Customer Service Centers will be open on regular business hours on October 28, 29, 31, and November 2 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. They will also be operational on November 1 from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Motorists may also check the regular traffic situation and send inquiries/concerns via NLEX Corporation’s Facebook and Twitter accounts (@nlexexpressways) or call the 24/7 hotline: 1-35000.
