Marcos opens CLLEX Cabanatuan link

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday opened a new segment of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) connecting the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway to Cabanatuan City, cutting travel time to about 20 minutes from 90 and easing fuel use and transport costs amid rising global oil prices.

Speaking after the inauguration of the Aliaga-Cabanatuan section, Mr. Marcos said the project supports the government’s push to build connector roads to decongest highways and improve mobility across Luzon.

“This is significant because fuel consumption is one of our major concerns today, and by reducing travel time, fuel use will also decline,” he said in Filipino, according to a Palace transcript.

The project is expected to lower transport costs for goods from Nueva Ecija, the country’s rice granary, helping stabilize rice prices as Middle East tensions threaten to push up commodity costs.

About 11,400 vehicles are projected to use the segment daily, easing congestion on MacArthur Highway. The toll-free section will be open until December to encourage use, including by trucks carrying agricultural products.

The newly opened stretch links the San Juan Interchange in Aliaga to the Cabanatuan exit, completing Phase 1 of the 29.2‑kilometer, four-lane expressway. The P10‑billion first phase was financed through official development assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana