Third Candaba viaduct to be built along NLEX

Nlex Corp. broke ground for the P7.89-billion Candaba Third Viaduct, a 5-kilometer road that will run between Pampanga and Bulacan.

The project involves the construction of a new bridge in the middle of the two existing viaducts to further improve safety and expand the expressway’s capacity to handle more vehicles.

Once completed in November 2024, this will increase the road capacity of the entire Candaba Viaduct from three lanes without shoulders to three lanes with inner and outer shoulders in each direction. These lanes and shoulders will be wide which will boost the safety and convenience of those traversing the viaduct.

“This project will not only increase the capacity of the 5-kilometer Candaba Viaduct but will ultimately improve safety and convenience of the motorists, as well as aid in the acceleration and growth of trade and commerce in Central Luzon,” said MPTC President and CEO Rogelio Singson.

Nlex Corp. President Luigi Bautista said the Candaba 3rd Viaduct will be built using green and sustainable engineering practices and will be compliant with the country’s latest bridge design requirements.

It will have piers at every 20 meters, with each pier being supported by two columns and two bored piles which will strengthen the structure amidst the swampy condition of the natural ground underneath the viaduct.

“This new mobility project will offer easy journeys and make travel safer for the public traveling between Metro Manila and Central and North Luzon as there will be a new structure to augment the existing ones and will safely allow the speed limit to increase to 60 to 80 kilometers per hour from the current 40 to 60 kilometers per hour,” he said.

Bautista added that “upon completion, Class 3 vehicles or large trucks will be directed to the new bridge so that the old structures will be relieved of heavy loads.”

Based on previous studies, he said the construction of the third viaduct is necessary as the current structures are aging and operating at a reduced capacity.

The Candaba Viaduct has been a vital link for motorists traveling between Metro Manila and the provinces in Central and North Luzon for over 50 years now. It has withstood natural disasters such as severe typhoons and extreme earthquakes.

Since 2005, the tollway company has been upgrading the viaduct. Some of the works completed were pavement resurfacing; bridge link slab, girder, and deck replacement; girder and column strengthening; and construction of lay-bys or emergency stops in both northbound and southbound directions of the bridge.

In 2020, the company started implementing stringent anti-overloading efforts, such as enforcing the 33-ton gross vehicle weight limit on the southbound viaduct to further ensure the safety and long-term serviceability of the bridge.