New Bulacan service road enters service; Skyway reopens to public buses
NLEX Corp. on Monday said the new Meycauayan-Marilao East Service Road, which is intended to serve as an alternative route going in and out of Meycauayan and Marilao, Bulacan, is now open to motorists.
The new two-lane road was constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“This new service road occupies a portion of the NLEX right of way (ROW) covering Barangay Lias in Marilao, Bulacan,” NLEX Corp. said in a statement.
“It is one of the government’s traffic decongestion projects aimed at improving the Bulacan road network, boosting the economic activities in the province, and enabling the public to experience travel convenience,” it added.
The opening of the road is expected to help ease the growing traffic volume at the Meycauayan-Marilao corridor as it bypasses the MacArthur Highway and other congested streets.
Motorists coming from Paso de Blas, Valenzuela City can access Lias, Marilao, Bulacan through the service road.
“Another benefit of this project is it will improve traffic flow at Meycauayan Interchange during peak hours and provide an alternate route for motorists especially those traveling between Iba, Libtong, Malhacan, and Pandayan in Meycauayan and Lias, Ibayo, Saog, and Lambakin in Marilao,” NLEX Corp. said.
Separately, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) announced that starting April 1, public utility buses and closed van delivery trucks will again be allowed to use the elevated Skyway system.
“All Class 2 vehicles, primarily buses and closed vans exceeding 7 feet in height and with valid Autosweep RFID (radio frequency identification) stickers, will be allowed on the entire elevated Skyway system, comprising Skyway 1, 2, and 3,” SMC said in a statement on Monday.
This means that buses can now enter and pass through the Skyway elevated sections spanning Alabang to Bicutan (Stage 2), Bicutan to Buendia (Stage 1), and Buendia to Balintawak (Stage 3).
“They can also access the new SLEX elevated extension, and NAIA Expressway,” SMC said.
This will “pave the way for faster, more efficient commutes and transport of goods between northern and southern Metro Manila,” it added.
Previously, Class 2 vehicles were temporarily restricted from using the Skyway system “for safety reasons.”
The construction of the South Luzon Expressway elevated extension in Muntinlupa “necessitated the use of a temporary steel access ramp at the Alabang viaduct,” the company noted. “The steel ramp, which was in use for around two years, was only intended for light vehicles.”
NLEX Corp. is an arm of MPTC, the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.
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