North Luzon Expressway

R-8 North Luzon Expressway
Map of expressways in Luzon, with the North Luzon Expressway in orange
NLEX northbound, just north of Paso de Blas, Valenzuela
Route information
Part of AH26
Maintained by NLEX Corporation
Length	84 km[1] (52 mi)
Existed	1965–present
Component highways	R-8 R-8 E1 AH 26 (E1) in Metro Manila and Bulacan
Restrictions	Motorcycles below 400cc
Major junctions
North end	N213 (Mabalacat–Magalang Road) in Mabalacat
	E1 (Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway) in Mabalacat N3 (Jose Abad Santos Avenue) in San Fernando AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) in Guiguinto, Bulacan E5 (NLEX Harbor Link) in Valenzuela
South end	AH 26 (N1) (EDSA) / (A. Bonifacio Avenue) at Balintawak Cloverleaf, Quezon City
Location
Major cities	Angeles City, Caloocan, Mabalacat, Malolos, Meycauayan, San Fernando, Quezon City, Valenzuela
Towns	Apalit, Bocaue, Balagtas, Calumpit, Guiguinto, Marilao, Mexico, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Simon, Santo Tomas
Highway system
Roads in the Philippines Highways Expressways List

The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX),^[a] signed as E1 of the Philippine expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network,^[b] is a limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines. The expressway, which includes the main segment and its various spurs, has a total length of 101.8 kilometers (63.3 mi) and travels from its northern terminus at Sta. Ines Interchange to its southern terminus in Balintawak Interchange, which connects it to the Skyway, an elevated toll road that connects the NLEX to its counterpart in the south, the South Luzon Expressway. The segment of the expressway between Santa Rita Exit in Guiguinto and the Balintawak Interchange in Quezon City is part of Asian Highway 26 of the Asian highway network.

The expressway also serves as a major utility corridor, carrying various high voltage overhead power lines through densely populated areas where land and right of way acquisition for a normal power line is impractical. A notable power line using the expressway's right of way for most or part of the route is the Hermosa–Duhat–Balintawak transmission line from Smart Connect Interchange in Valenzuela, Metro Manila to San Fernando Exit in San Fernando, Pampanga.

The North Luzon Expressway was built in the 1960s as part of the government's program to develop areas adjacent to Metro Manila, with NLEX serving the north. The expressway was originally controlled by the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC), until the expressway's operations and maintenance was transferred in 2005 to the NLEX Corporation, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (a former subsidiary of the Lopez Group of Companies until 2008). The expressway was expanded and rehabilitated from 2003 to February 2005, modernizing the road and its facilities.

Route description[]

NLEX Main[]

NLEX near the Santa Rita interchange in Guiguinto

The North Luzon Expressway's main segment, called the North Luzon Tollway (NLT) or NLEX Main, cuts northwards from Manila to the provinces in Central Luzon.

The expressway begins in Quezon City as a four lane road at the Balintawak Interchange with EDSA and the Skyway as a continuation of A. Bonifacio Avenue. The main segment spans 84 km (52 miles), passing through Caloocan and Valenzuela in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga in Central Luzon. It currently ends in Mabalacat. The NLEX runs parallel to the MacArthur Highway, formerly the Manila North Road.

From Balintawak, the NLEX follows a straight northwest route, with sections lined by billboards. The expressway then slightly bends westward in Tambubong Interchange in Bocaue, Bulacan. The following exit, Tabang, leads passengers to the Tabang Spur Road. The Tabang Spur Road is a four-lane, 3.36-kilometer (2.09 mi) spur road in Bulacan that branches off NLEX Main at Tabang Exit in Balagtas and terminates at a partial cloverleaf interchange with MacArthur Highway and Cagayan Valley Road at Guiguinto Exit in Guiguinto.^[2] The spur road carried the final leg of the expressway until the present route was extended to Pampanga.

The expressway narrows to three lanes per direction past Tabang Exit. It continues on a straight route, traversing paddy fields on the outskirts of Guiguinto, Malolos, and Pulilan. The AH26 concurrency leaves NLEX at Santa Rita Exit, where it follows Maharlika Highway, also known as Cagayan Valley Road, to Baliuag and Cabanatuan. A few meters after Pulilan Exit is the Candaba Viaduct (officially known as Pulilan-Apalit Bridge). The bridge traverses rice paddies and swampland in the municipalities of Pulilan, Calumpit, Bulacan and Apalit, Pampanga, and crosses Pampanga River before the viaduct ends. The expressway continues again on a straight alignment. After San Fernando Exit, the expressway narrows into two lanes per direction. It continues a mostly straight and gently winding route through the rural areas of Mexico, crossing Abacan and Quitangil rivers, and traversing the eastern parts of Angeles and Mabalacat. NLEX connects with Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway via Clark Spur Road before the main line terminates at Sta. Ines Interchange, with a toll plaza serving the exit.

NLEX Harbor Link[]

Collectively known as the North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link Project (NLEX Harbor Link Project),^[3] these series of expressways connect the North Luzon Expressway to various points in Metro Manila. It currently runs from Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela to Radial Road 10 in Navotas, linking the North Luzon Expressway to the Port of Manila. Once completed, it will run from Katipunan Avenue, a component of Circumferential Road 5, in Quezon City at the east.

History[]

Planning and construction[]

Balintawak Interchange in 1968

The original stretch of the expressway, from Balintawak Interchange in Quezon City (then a part of Rizal province) up to Guiguinto Exit in Bulacan, was completed on August 4, 1968. It is a fully fenced limited-access highway that consisted of a four-lane rural divided roadway, nine twin bridges, one railroad overpass, seven underpasses, and three interchanges.

Originally a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the completion of the major portion of the job fell on the Construction Development Corporation of the Philippines (CDCP, the precursor to PNCC) to pioneer the toll concept of funding infrastructure.^[4] It was carried out under the private financing scheme provided by Republic Act No. 3741.

Additional work required by the government included the construction of the Balintawak – Novaliches Interchange Complex, the Tabang Interchange, and the approach road of the underpasses.

In 1976, the NLT extension, consisting of 50.9 kilometers (31.6 mi) of concrete road, was built as part of a highways program of the International Bank for Reconstruction Development (World Bank) linking major urban centers to the production centers in the north. The project features a 4-lane limited-access highway with a five-kilometer Candaba Viaduct, a construction innovation utilizing precast beam system, 6 interchanges, 12 bridges, and overpass/underpass structures.^[1]

In 1989, under the Corazon Aquino administration, the expressway was extended by another 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from its terminus at Dau Exit to Sta. Ines Exit in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Expansion and rehabilitation[]

A segment of NLEX in 1999, with a passing Partas bus

The San Fernando toll plaza in 2005

From 2003 to February 2005, the expressway underwent a major rehabilitation. Works included the widening of the Balintawak–Tabang segment from 6 to 8 lanes and the Tabang–Sta. Rita segment from 4 to 6 lanes, asphalt overlay, and the demolition of old tollbooths. The main contractor of the rehabilitation work was Leighton Contractors (Australia) with Egis Projects, a company belonging to the French Groupe Egis as the main subcontractor for the toll, telecommunication and traffic management systems. To help maintain the safety and quality of the expressway, various rules are in effect, such as restricting the left lane to passing vehicles only and banning overloaded trucks.

On February 12, 2007, the entire stretch of the expressway began another rehabilitation regarding its drainage systems. Within this period, certain lanes of the road were closed to the traffic. This in turn caused massive traffic jams along the road and the speed limit on the construction sites were reduced from 80 km/h (50 mph) and 100 km/h (62 mph), respectively, to 60 km/h (37 mph).^{[citation needed]} The program was finished on October 7, 2007.^{[citation needed]}

After the rehabilitation, the operation and maintenance of the expressway was transferred from the government-owned Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) to the Manila North Tollways Corporation (now NLEX Corporation).

Further extensions[]

NLEX in San Simon, after the 2016 expansion project

On June 5, 2010, NLEX Segment 8.1 or NLEX Mindanao Avenue Link was opened. The new spur road of NLEX is a part of the C-5 Road North Extension and is built to provide another entry point to the expressway from Metro Manila and decongest Balintawak Interchange.

On March 18, 2015, NLEX Segment 9 or the NLEX Karuhatan Link was opened, providing continuation to Segment 8.1 that runs from the other side of the Smart Connect Interchange to MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela.

On February 28, 2019, the main stretch of NLEX Segment 10 or the NLEX Harbor Link, from Karuhatan to C-3 Road, was opened to traffic.^[5][6][7] On February 21, 2020, its C3–R10 Section was partially opened up to its Malabon exit ramp;^[8] the remaining section to Radial Road 10 was opened on June 15, 2020.^[9]

Future[]

NLEX Connector[]

It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled . (Discuss) (May 2021)

Plans for a construction of an elevated road to connect North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) has been bared long before the construction of NLEX Connector.

The government reportedly accepted the unsolicited proposal from Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corporation (MPTDC) to build the 13.24-kilometer (8.23 mi) road. MPTDC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), which runs NLEX. This would later be known as the NLEX Connector Road project, the elevated expressway which will have run over the Philippine National Railways tracks from the existing Segment 10 (Harbor Link) in Caloocan to the future interchange with Skyway Stage 3 near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) campus in Santa Mesa, Manila.^[11] Construction of the project is estimated to cost ₱17 billion, but as an "all-elevated" or completely grade-separated structure, right-of-way acquisition shall be reduced to an estimated cost of only ₱2.41 billion.

Once completed, the Connector Road will have four entry and exit points: the Caloocan Interchange, C-3 Road in Caloocan, España in Sampaloc, Manila, and terminating at the Skyway Stage 3 in Santa Mesa, Manila. It broke ground on February 28, 2019 at the same time NLEX Connector was inaugurated and opened to traffic, officially indicating that the NLEX Karuhatan Link and Segment 10 are mostly complete.^[12] Section 1, spanning 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from Caloocan to España is expected to be completed by 2021, while Section 2, spanning 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from España to Santa Mesa is expected to be completed in 2022.^[13] Its construction takes into consideration the upcoming parallel construction of the southern segment of the North–South Commuter Railway.

As of June 2021, the project is 40% complete.^[14]

NLEX Phase 3[]

NLEX Phase 3 would be a 40-kilometer (25 mi) extension with three segments from NLEX Main, originally in San Simon, Pampanga, to Dinalupihan, Bataan, connecting to Subic Freeport Expressway (NLEX Segment 7). However, the plan did not push through. It would instead start somewhere between Apalit and San Fernando in Pampanga, then will cut across Guagua and end at Dinalupihan.^[15] Though the project will start tentatively from Apalit based on the concession, the new alignment has yet to be finalized.^[16]

New Manila International Airport link[]

Pillars are built on NLEX right after Skyway Stage 3's Balintawak/NLEX off-ramp to accommodate a future toll road to the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan.^[17] The future project, to be built by San Miguel Corporation, will expand the capacity of NLEX by adding new 4-5 lanes up to Marilao, which was selected for another toll road to the future airport. After the completion of this elevated toll road, NLEX will have 11-13 lanes total (3-4 lanes per direction on NLEX + 5 lanes on the elevated segment) from Balintawak Cloverleaf to Marilao, ultimately bypassing the NLEX's open section.

Tolls[]

Bocaue Toll Plaza in Bulacan

The tollway has two sections: an open section and a closed section.^[18] The open section charges a flat toll based on vehicle class and is employed to reduce the number of toll barriers (and associated bottlenecks) within Metro Manila. The closed section is distance-based, charging based on the class of vehicle and distance traveled. When the expressway was modernized, an electronic toll collection system was set up for Class 1 vehicles while prepaid magnetic cards were assigned to Class 2 and 3 vehicles to speed up transactions at toll booths. These have since been replaced by a unified ETC system operated by Easytrip Services Corporation. Also, with the government's thrust towards toll road interoperability, Autosweep of the San Miguel Corporation which operates SLEX, Skyway, STAR, NAIAX, and TPLEX has been accepted as a mode of payment in NLEX since March 2018.^{[19] [20]} As of May 18, 2021, all tolls (as shown below) include the 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT).^[21] With the movement of the northernmost toll gate to Sta. Ines, the NLEX and SCTEX toll systems have been merged into one combined system, with tolls for all enclosed destinations listed.

Services[]

Emergency phones and parking bays[]

Emergency telephone boxes are located throughout the whole length of the expressway.^[22] Parking bays (lay-bys) are also placed on regular intervals on the expressway, for use in emergency situations.^[23]

Service areas[]

North Luzon Expressway has eleven service areas, mostly located on the closed toll section north of Bocaue. Each service station hosts a gas station, restaurants, and a convenience store, as well as ATMs and restrooms, car repair, and lubrication services.^{[citation needed]}

Exits[]

A toll barrier of the Santa Rita Exit

Exit numbers are based on kilometer post. Exits begin at 10 because the NLEx is a logical continuation of A. Bonifacio Avenue. Rizal Park in Manila is designated as Kilometer Zero.

Region	Province	City/Municipality	km[24]	mi	Exit	Name	Destinations	Notes
Metro Manila	Quezon City		10	6.2		Balintawak Cloverleaf	AH 26 (N1) (EDSA) – Cubao, Monumento, Manila	South end of AH26 concurrency and southern terminus; continues south as (A. Bonifacio Avenue)
			10	6.2			(Quirino Highway) – Novaliches	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; consists of the Camachile and Old Novaliches Flyovers
	Caloocan		11	6.8	Manila North Expressway: Balintawak toll plaza (1968–2005, demolished)
			11	6.8			Skyway	Balintawak/NLEX Exit of Skyway; northbound entrance and southbound exit[25]
			11	6.8		Libis Baesa	Libis Baesa, Potrero	Southbound exit only[25]
			12	7.5	Balintawak toll plaza (northbound only)
			12	7.5	Balintawak toll plaza expansion (northbound only; exclusively for Class 1 vehicles)
	Valenzuela		13	8.1	13	Smart Connect Interchange	E5 (NLEX Harbor Link) – Mindanao Avenue, Port of Manila	Cloverleaf interchange
			14	8.7		Mapulang Lupa	Mapulang Lupa, Paso de Blas, Parada	Northbound exit only; demolished
			15	9.3	15	Paso de Blas (Valenzuela City)	(Paso de Blas Road) – Paso de Blas, Novaliches, Fairview, VGC	Diamond interchange
			17	11	Caltex (NLEX southbound) service area
			17	11	17	Lawang Bato	Lawang Bato, Punturin	Northbound entrance (temporarily closed)[26] and exit only; entrance exclusively for Class 1 and 2 RFID users only[27]
			17	11	17	Lingunan	Lingunan, Canumay, Lawang Bato	Southbound exit only
Central Luzon	Bulacan	Meycauayan	19	12	19	Libtong	Libtong	Northbound exit only
			20	12	20	Meycauayan	(Malhacan Road) / Iba Road – Meycauayan	Folded diamond interchange
			21	13	21	Pandayan	Pandayan	Southbound exit only
		Marilao	23	14	Petron KM 23 service area (northbound only)
			23	14	23	Marilao	Marilao	Northbound exit only; replaced by a new exit with the same name a few meters north
			23	14	23	Marilao	M. Villarica Road / Patubig Road – Marilao, San Jose del Monte, Norzagaray	Folded diamond / Four-ramp parclo interchange
			24	15		NLEX-C6 Interchange		Links to the proposed C6 Expressway; interchange type not yet known
		Bocaue	26	16	26	Ciudad de Victoria		Northbound exit only; replaced by a proper northbound-southbound exit
			26	16		Philippine Arena	Ciudad de Victoria, Bocaue, Santa Maria
						Bocaue Bypass		Southbound entry only;[28] under construction
			28	17	Bocaue toll plaza (southbound only) North end of barrier toll system. South end of closed road toll system.
			28	17	Bocaue toll plaza expansion (southbound only) North end of barrier toll system. South end of closed road toll system.
			28	17	27	Bocaue	Fortunato Halili Avenue – Bocaue, Santa Maria	Diamond interchange
			27	17	27	Tambubong	Taal, Tambubong (Bocaue), Santa Maria	Northbound entrance, northbound exit, and southbound entrance only
			30	19	Petron KM 30 service area (southbound only)
		Balagtas	30	19		Balagtas-NFEx Interchange	North Food Exchange	Unopened trumpet interchange; construction temporarily stopped in 2011 due to the delays in developing the site of the project
			31	19	Shell (NLEX Northbound) service area
			32	20	32	Tabang (Guiguinto)	E1 (Tabang Spur Road) – Tabang, Guiguinto, Malolos	Half-Y interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance
			33	21	34	Balagtas	Plaridel Bypass Road – Balagtas, Bustos, San Rafael	Trumpet interchange; northbound entry/exit and southbound entrance, southbound exit ramp under construction
		Guiguinto	36	22		NLEx-NLEEx Interchange		Links to the proposed provincial spur road of North Luzon East Expressway; interchange type not yet known
			37	23	Shell of Asia service area (southbound only)
			38	24	38	Santa Rita	AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway / Cagayan Valley Road) – Guiguinto, Plaridel, Baliuag, Cabanatuan	Folded diamond interchange; north end of AH26 concurrency
		Malolos			No major junctions
		Plaridel	42	26	Petron KM 42 service area (northbound only)
		Pulilan	45	28	45	Pulilan	(Pulilan Regional Road) – Pulilan, Calumpit, Baliuag, Malolos	Diamond interchange
			46	29	South end of Candaba Viaduct
		Calumpit			No major junctions
	Pampanga	Apalit	52	32	North end of Candaba Viaduct
			55	34	Total (NLEX) service area (northbound only)
		San Simon	56	35	56	San Simon	Quezon Road – San Simon, Apalit, Minalin, Santo Tomas	Diamond interchange
		Santo Tomas			No major junctions
		San Fernando	62	39	Caltex Mega Station (southbound only)
			65	40	65	San Fernando	N3 (Jose Abad Santos Avenue) – San Fernando, Bacolor, Guagua, Mexico, Subic Freeport Zone	Half partial cloverleaf (east half) and half diamond interchange (west half); southbound ramps formerly a half dumbbell interchange
		Mexico	71	44	Petron KM 71 Lakeshore (northbound only)
			72	45	72	Mexico (closed)	Mexico, Lakeshore Estate	Half parclo interchange (demolished); replaced by a current exit few meters north
			72	45	72	Mexico	Mexico-Calulut Road – Mexico, Dalisdis (Mexico), Panipuan (San Fernando)	Trumpet interchange
			77	48	Shell service station (southbound only)
		Angeles	81	50	81	Angeles	Angeles-Magalang Road – Angeles, Magalang	Parclo interchange (1984–2005, demolished); replaced by a current exit few meters north
			81	50	81	Angeles	Angeles-Magalang Road/Pandan Road/Aniceto Gueco Street – Angeles, Magalang, Clark	Trumpet interchange
		Mabalacat	82	51	Dau toll plaza (2005–2016, demolished)
			83	52	83	Dau	N215 (Dau Access Road) – Dau, Mabalacat	Trumpet interchange
			85	53	85	SCTEX	E1 (Clark Spur Road) – Clark Airport, Tarlac City, Baguio, Subic	Half trumpet; future trumpet interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; north end of R-8 concurrency
			87	54	Sta. Ines toll plaza (1989–2005, demolished; 2016–present)
			88	55	88	Santa Ines	N213 (Mabalacat–Magalang Road) – Clark Airport, Concepcion, Mabalacat	Trumpet interchange; northern end of expressway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Incomplete access       Concurrency terminus       Tolled       Unopened

Tabang Spur Road[]

The west end of Tabang Spur Road at Guiguinto Exit

The entire route will be located in Bulacan. 

City/Municipality	km	mi	Exit	Name	Destinations	Notes
Guiguinto	36	22	36	Guiguinto	N1 (MacArthur Highway / Cagayan Valley Road) – Guiguinto, Malolos, Balagtas	Western terminus & end of expressway; continues west as N2 (MacArthur Highway)
	36	22			St. Francis Street	T-Intersection
	36	22	Shell service station (eastbound only)
	36	22	Tabang toll plaza
	34	21		Tabe	Tabe	Access for westbound motorists only [29]
Balagtas	32	20	32		AH 26 (E1) (NLEX Main) – Manila	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Incomplete access       Tolled

NLEX Connector[]

Also known as the NLEX–SLEX Connector Road, it is under construction.^[30] 

Province	City/Municipality	km	mi	Exit	Name	Destinations	Notes
Caloocan					Caloocan Interchange	E5 (NLEX Harbor Link) – Port of Manila, Mindanao Avenue, Tarlac	Northern terminus; continues north as E5 (NLEX Harbor Link); also connects with the C3–R10 Section of NLEX Harbor Link
					C-3 Road	(C-3 Road)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Manila					España	N170 (España Boulevard)	Includes toll plaza on both northbound and southbound lanes
					Santa Mesa	Skyway	Southern terminus; future connection with Skyway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Unopened

In popular culture[]

• The expressway was featured in the music video to the song "Toll Gate" by the band Hale.
• It was also featured in the movie Sa North Diversion Road in 2005, based on Tony Perez's stage play of the same name. It was created by Dennis Marasigan.
• From June 6–17, 2007, On North Diversion Road, the play written by Tony Perez, was performed at The Arts House, Singapore, by young & W!LD, an actor training division of Singapore's W!LD RICE Theatre.^[31]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Luzon Expressway.

• Manila North Tollways Corporation
• NLEX-SCTEX Toll Table Rates