Travel time to drop as CLLEX readies full launch by July 2025

The Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) is inching closer to full completion, with its Cabanatuan Section now 98% finished and expected to open fully by July 2025, according to officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Stretching 29.55 kilometers from Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City, the four-lane toll-free expressway is poised to cut travel time from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes. The infrastructure is expected to benefit over 11,200 motorists daily and support trade, agriculture, and logistics across Central Luzon.

Contract Package 4, built by Qingdao Municipal Construction Group Co., includes a 10.3-km road segment, one interchange, three bridges, eight reinforced box culverts, seven farm passages, and multiple underpasses. Despite delays caused by right-of-way issues, the section is nearly complete following a recent inspection held on May 7, 2025.

Meanwhile, Contract Package 5—the Zaragoza Interchange—has reached 73.46% completion and is on track for finishing by the third quarter of 2025. It is fully funded by the Philippine government and jointly undertaken by Pacific Concrete Products Inc. and China Construction First Group.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-supported project forms part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Build Better More” and Bagong Pilipinas agenda to improve regional connectivity and economic resilience.

Officials emphasized their commitment to keeping the project on schedule, noting its potential to alleviate congestion, boost productivity in rural areas, and strengthen inter-province transport across Central Luzon.