MANILA -- Metro Pacific Tollways Corp has broken ground on a project to extend the North Luzon Expressway to Quirino Highway in Quezon City.

Newly-appointed MPTC President & CEO Jose Ma. Lim led the groundbreaking ceremony for the initial phase of the NLEX-C5 Northlink on Tuesday. 

The P2.2 billion project aims to extend NLEX from the Mindanao Toll Plaza to Quirino Highway in Quezon City through a 2 kilometer elevated expressway, which would help decongest local roads.

“Ang mangyayari dyan, made-decongest yung Mindanao Avenue so the main beneficiaries are the people underneath kasi hindi na sila masyadong masikip doon sa ilalim. May options na,” said Lim.

With nearly 80 percent of right of way issues for the first segment already resolved, construction is seen to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.

But similar right of way issues prevent the toll concessionaire from starting with the rest of the NLEX-C5 Northlink project which extends 11.3 kilometers from Mindanao Avenue to C5/C.P. Garcia, close to Katipunan Avenue.

NLEX Officer-in-Charge and Chief Finance Officer Maria Theresa Wells said even the first phase of the project, which was already approved by the government in 2021, was delayed to 2025 because of relocation issues.

Wells said Republic Avenue in Quezon City is particularly a challenge.

“So malaking bagay yung participation ng QC LGU in relocating or allowing us to relocate the informal settlers kasi yun yung unique challenge dito sa alignment na ‘to e. Parang we’re looking at 80,000 informal settlers doon sa rest of the alignment,” said Wells.

Both Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian, who attended the event, expressed their commitment to help with right of way concerns.

“We understand that certain communities will be affected. That is why the Quezon City government continually observe the housing-related needs of the project affected families, mga 140 po sila, and assure everyone of our assistance,” said Belmonte.

“The same suppport na binigay namin sa DOTr (Department of Transportation), our neighbor here when we were starting the Metro Manila Subway Project… Likewise, makakaasa po kayo of our full support, full commitment to NLEX,” echoed Gatchalian.

“Ginawa namin noon nagkaroon kami ng one-stop shop between DOTr and other government agencies and our housing department so I think that’s the best way to move forward as well for this endeavor,” he added.

Once operational, Lim claimed that the 11-kilometer elevated expressway could shorten the travel time from Mindanao Avenue to C5 to around 5 to 10 minutes.

NLEX TOLL HIKE

MPTC also defended the latest toll rate hike in NLEX amid a call from a trucking group to suspend it to prevent a spike in commodity prices.

“These projects are very expensive. We have to maintain a certain ability to assure our creditors that we’re able to make good on the loans that they lend us to build these new projects. We don’t get our returns over the life of the concession so the tariff is the only source of revenue to repay these projects,” said Lim.

“If we don’t continually adjust, mag-iipon lang yan e. It would be a much bigger jump in the adjustment. So mas gusto namin yung slowly so people can adjust to it,” he added.