The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is allocating PHP1 billion for the construction of three more interchanges and add more roadway lighting along Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
“We have extra revenues on top of our payment to our JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) loan. So its time to give back, reinvest in our facilities,” said BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang. He added they have to show they have improved their facilities, noting that commuters also bear the increases in toll fees.
The new interchanges are in Luisita, Hermosa and Mabalacat with a budget allocation of P250 million each, plus roadway lighting of PHP300 million. Bingcang said these projects can be completed in two years.
The 93.77 kilometer expressway, the longest in the country, has at least 10 interchanges, including the North and South ends.
For the road lighting, Bingcang said there are areas that need more roadway lighting, especially along the Subic-Clark expressway segment.
Another improvement is the potential award of service center facilities along the SCTEX to make travel to the North more convenient. Bingcang said that BCDA can already engage in a negotiated offer following previous failed bids for the planned service centers.
SCTEX serves as a vital economic corridor connecting the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Clark Freeport Zone, and Tarlac City. Opened in 2008, it is operated by NLEX Corporation, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC).
The expressway was designed to boost business, tourism, and trade in the region by providing efficient transport of people and goods between these key economic hubs and major infrastructures like the Subic Seaport and Clark International Airport.
