DAGUPAN CITY—Days after he inaugurated the integration of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), Senate President Franklin Drilon urged highway operators to also merge the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) with the two expressways.
In a radio interview here on Tuesday, Drilon said integrating TPLEx with NLEx and SCTEx would ease travel from the northern Luzon provinces to Metro Manila and back.
“I am happy with the integration of the NLEx and SCTEx. But last night (Monday), I came from La Union [province] and I hope TPLEx will also be integrated so that motorists will just have to pay toll once,” said Drilon.
Under the present system, travelers from the North are issued toll cards at TPLEx’s northernmost toll plaza in Urdaneta City and pay their toll fees at TPLEx’s southern exit in Tarlac City.
But motorists will have to slow down and queue again at the SCTEx toll plaza a few kilometers farther in Tarlac City to secure a ticket from a dispensing machine. The toll payments are received at the Balintawak toll plaza for those going to Metro Manila.
In a press statement posted in his official website, Drilon said that because of the integration of NLEx and SCTEx, Holy Week travelers can enjoy a faster and more efficient experience when using the expressways.
He said people driving to central and northern Luzon provinces would save as much as 40 minutes of travel time.
When completed, TPLEx will be an 88.85-kilometer, four-lane expressway from Tarlac City to Rosario town in La Union province.
At present, only its 63.02-km section from Tarlac to Urdaneta has been completed. In a text message, Ramon Ang, president and chief operating officer of the San Miguel Corp. (SMC), said his company is open to any option that will benefit the public.
SMC is the operator of TPLEx. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon