FILE PHOTO: Workers sent by the North Luzon Expressway Corp. start working on a flood that started to rise on the San Simon area of NLEx on Aug. 2, 2023. (Photo from the Facebook page of NLEx Corp.)
MABALACAT CITY — The public works for the elevation of the Tulaoc Bridge along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in San Simon, Pampanga will start on Saturday night (September 23), the NLEX Corporation said in an advisory Friday (September 22).
The company, the subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation that maintains and manages the toll road, has advised motorists to expect traffic slowdown along the pavement-raising project area for a week.
“Motorists are advised that the leftmost and middle lanes (lanes 1 and 2) in the northbound direction under the Tulaoc overpass in San Simon will be closed on September 23, 6 p.m. to September 29, 6 p.m.,” the advisory said.
The company said a counterflow system will be implemented along the southbound lanes and that directional signs will be installed amd traffic patrol crew will be deployed along the area for the smooth flow of vehicular traffic.
Flood due to Pampanga River overflow along the Tulaoc Bridge portion of the NLEX caused up to 1.5-kilometer long traffic build-up in late July until early August this year.
It was the first time that floodwater reached the expressway.
NLEX Corporation said in its past advisories that up to 50-centimeter deep flood was observed that caused very slow moving traffic and long queues of vehicles.
The company had to use pumping machines to somehow reduce the volume of water along the toll road tonkeep it passable even for light vehicles like cars.