Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway

Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway
NLEx Extension Phase 2
North Luzon West Expressway (NLWE) Phase 2
R-8 Extension 2

Map of expressways in Luzon, with the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway in red
Route information
Length: 88.9 km (55.2 mi)
Major junctions
North end: Rosario, La Union
South end: Tarlac City, Tarlac
Location
Major cities:

Tarlac City

Urdaneta
Towns: Victoria, Gerona, Paniqui, Moncada, Nampicuan, Cuyapo, San Manuel, Tarlac, Rosales, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Rosario, La Union[1]
Highway system
Highways in the Philippines
TPLEx from Tarlac City

The Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEx) is an 88.85-kilometer four-lane expressway currently under construction north of Manila, in the Philippines. It connects central to northern Luzon,[2] with its southernmost terminal located in Tarlac City, Tarlac and its planned northernmost terminus currently slated to be at Rosario, La Union.[1][3]

The first section of the project, from Tarlac City to Gerona, Tarlac, has been operating on a "soft opening" basis since October 31, 2013, and is expected to be ready for full operation by November 2013.[4]

Part of the second segment, which will take motorists up to Paniqui, Tarlac opened last December 23, 2013. The remaining section from Moncada, Tarlac up to Rosales, Pangasinan is projected for a mid-2014 opening, and the final section ending in Rosario, La Union, is slated for completion in 2015/2016.[1][3]

Proposals have also been raised for extending the project all the way to Laoag in Ilocos Norte.[2]

The TPLEX is the Phase 2 of the North Luzon West Expressway and also the extension of North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway from Tarlac to Rosario, La Union.

History

Conception and Early Development

Although calls for the creation of an expressway system that would stretch from the Philippine Capital of Manila all the way to Rosario, the southernmost town of the province of La Union, had been raised even before the turn of the millennium,[5] these calls first actually began to bear concrete fruit in the mid-2000s.

In 2005, construction began on the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), creating a linked expressway system which reached all the way to Tarlac City, Tarlac - an improvement over the North Luzon Expressway's terminus which reached only up to Mabalacat, Pampanga.

In 2006, Congressional representatives from Northern Luzon took advantage of a the final reading House Bill 5749[6] to lobby for a project that would extend the expressway system to Rosario, as a means to boost trade, tourism, and speed up transportation in the provinces of Tarlac, Eastern Pangasinan and La Union.[7] As a result of this lobbying, the Arroyo administration announced in October 2006 a ten year period in which the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) would be extended from Mabalacat, Pampanga to Rosario, La Union and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) would be extended from Calamba, Laguna to Lucena City in Quezon and eventually up to Matnog, Sorsogon.[8]

In 2008, the SCTEx was formally opened, setting the stage for the development of the TPLEx, which would extend beyond the SCTEx' terminus in Tarlac City.

The initial plan for the construction of the TPLEx was that it would be carried out in two phases: The first phase would involve the construction of two lanes while the second phase entailed its expansion into four lanes to accommodate 25,000 vehicles.

The proposed superhighway would be built parallel to MacArthur Highway, passing through the city of Tarlac and the municipalities of La Paz, Gerona, Victoria, Pura, Anao and Ramos in Tarlac, Nampicuan and Cuyapo in Nueva Ecija and Rosales, Villasis, Urdaneta, Binalonan, Pozorrubio and Sison in Pangasinan and Rosario, La Union.[9]

Development Stage Tollway Alignment
Phase 1 Tarlac City, Tarlac to Rosales, Pangasinan
Phase 2 Rosales, Pangasinan to Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Phase 3 Urdaneta City, Pangasinan to Rosario, La Union

The financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the Tarlac-La Union Toll Expressway Phase 1 was eventually awarded to Private Infra Development Corporation (PIDC)[10][11]

Project Financing

Three local banks undertook the financing of the TPLEX: BDO Unibank, Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines. This made TPLEX notable in the Infrastructure and Development Financing industry "the first Public-Private Partnership project in the Philippines to feature an all-domestic cast of sponsors and lenders.” London-based Project Finance Magazine named the TPLEX as its "Asia Pacific Transport Deal of the Year" for 2011.[12]

The project is being implemented through public-private partnership using the Build–operate–transfer (BOT) scheme in which the project proponent is responsible for the design, financing, and construction of the initial two-lane expressway.

As each section of the toll road is completed, it is turned over to the government. The government then grants the proponent the franchise to operate and maintain the toll road, after which the proponent, after a certificate to commence toll operation issued by the Toll Regulatory Board, operates the road on behalf of the government under a long term concession agreement.

Right of Way and Alignment Issues

A contributor to delays in the early development of the TPLEX was the acquisition of the Right of Way for the project. With the TPLEX identified as a high priority government project,[13] the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was given the task of acquiring the Right of Way for the project's proposed alignment, and was allocated P793 million in the hope that the process could be expedited.[14] However, numerous legal disputes regarding affected properties, notably in the Tarlac segment of the project,[15] meant delays in the negotiation process being undertaken by the DPWH.[16]

There was also some controversy when a proposal in congress was brought up to change the alignment of the project to change the location of the final interchange in Rosario, La Union.[17] [18]

Construction of Phase 1

The first phase of the Tarlac-La Union Toll Expressway started in January, 2010.[19][20]

In April 2013, San Miguel Corporation announced that the segment from Tarlac City up to Urdaneta will be built with four lanes, instead of the initial plan of two lanes only. However, this also pushed back the opening day of the expressway from June 2013 to November 2013.[21]

Tarlac City - Gerona Segment Opening

On October 25, 2013, the Toll Regulatory Board authorized the issuance of the Toll Operation Permit for the Tarlac City - Gerona segment of the TPLEX after the construction of that segment was completed by Private Infra Dev Corp. (PIDC), the all-Filipino consortium backed by conglomerates San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and DMCI Holdings Inc.[4]

This first phase, referred to as Section 1A, begins with a connection to SCTEX, then stretches 17 kilometers from Tarlac City to Victoria, and then to Gerona, Tarlac. It is expected to cut current travel time to Baguio by as much as 40 minutes.[4]

Gerona - Paniqui Segment Opening

On December 23, 2013, The expressway opens up to Paniqui, Tarlac bringing TPLEX up to 23 km of its operational length.

Paniqui - Rosales Segment Opening

On April 16, 2014, Phase 1 of the project was completed when the Rosales section was opened in time for the Lenten traffic and it is the halfway to go to Baguio.

Carmen - Urdaneta Segment Opening

In December 2014, Section 2 of the project, covering 13.72 km from Carmen to Urdaneta, was opened to traffic, as had PIDC president Mark Dumol had announced on the day the completion of Phase 1 was announced.

Segments still under construction

In the same announcement, Dumol had also projected that the last section, covering 25.83 km from Urdaneta to Rosario and including an exit in Pozzorobio, would be completed some time in 2015.[22]

Extension to Laoag

On June 11, 2013, at the Annual Stockholders Meeting of San Miguel Corporation, its Chairman, Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. revealed plans of extending the expressway north to Laoag, Ilocos Norte. He said that the extension of the toll road business to Laoag has been raised during the Arroyo administration.[23]

Technical specifications

Tolls

Class Toll[24] Tarlac to Victoria (8.66 km.) Victoria to Gerona (8.017 km.) Gerona to Paniqui (5.93 km.) Tarlac City to Paniqui (22.607 km.)
Class 1
(Cars, Motorcycles, SUVs, Jeepneys)		 ₱3.50/km ₱30.00 ₱28.00 ₱21.00 ₱79.00
Class 2
(Buses, Light Trucks)		 ₱8.70/km ₱76.00 ₱70.00 ₱52.00 ₱197.00
Class 3
(Heavy Trucks)		 ₱10.50/km ₱91.00 ₱84.00 ₱62.00 ₱237.00

Features

Special features of the expressway will include:[25]

Exit list

Exits are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as Kilometer 0. Exits start at 228 because the SCTEX is connected with TPLEX. Thus, the last exit of SCTEX will be succeeded by an exit in TPLEX.

Km no. North bound Km no. South bound Exit Interchange type Location Remarks
228 228 Tarlac Exit Partial Cloverleaf (end of expressway) Barangay Amucao,
Tarlac City, Tarlac		 This is the southern terminus of TPLEX. Exits connected to Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
? ? Tarlac Central Toll Plaza Barangay Villa Bacolor,
Tarlac City, Tarlac		 The first toll barrier of the expressway. This is the exit where one of the 2 plazas and the corporate offices are located.
237 237 Victoria Exit Trumpet Barangay Baculong,
Victoria, Tarlac		 This exit connects to Tarlac-Victoria Road. Westbound goes to Tarlac City. Eastbound goes to Barangay Baculong and to Victoria, Tarlac.
249 249 Gerona Exit Trumpet Barangay Singat,
Pura, Tarlac		 This exit connects to Gerona-Guimba Road. Westbound goes to Gerona. Eastbound goes to Guimba, Talugtug, Muñoz, San Jose and Cagayan Valley Region.
256 256 Paniqui Exit Trumpet Barangay Guiteb,
Ramos, Tarlac		 This exit connects to Paniqui-Ramos Road. Westbound goes to Paniqui, Camiling in Tarlac and some towns in Pangasinan. Eastbound goes to Ramos.
267 267 Anao Exit Trumpet Barangay San Francisco East,
Anao, Tarlac		 This exit connects to Moncada-Anao Road. Westbound goes to Moncada. Eastbound goes to Anao, Nampicuan and Cuyapo
288 288 Carmen Exit Trumpet Barangay Tomana East,
Rosales, Pangasinan		 This exit connects to MacArthur Highway which will take you to SM City Rosales. This entry/exit point would take you to Barangay Tumana & would take you to Umingan, San Quintin, Balungao, Tayug, Alaminos, Lingayen, Bolinao, Bayambang and San Carlos.
299 299 Urdaneta Exit Trumpet Dilan-Paurido,
Urdaneta, Pangasinan		 This exit connects to MacArthur Highway. This entry/exit point would take you to Urdaneta, Santa Barbara, Calasiao and Dagupan.
308 308 Pozorrubio Exit Trumpet Barangay ?,
Pozorrubio, Pangasinan		 This exit will connect to Manaoag-Pozorrubio Road. Westbound goes to Manaoag. Eastbound goes to Pozorrubio & Binalonan in Pangasinan.
316 316 Rosario Exit Roundabout(End of Expressway) Barangay ?,
Rosario, La Union		 This is the northern terminus of TPLEX. This exit will connected to MacArthur Highway and Pugo-Rosario Road. Westbound goes to town proper of Rosario, La Union and some towns in La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte. Northbound goes Pugo, La Union and Marcos Highway which will take you to Baguio and some towns in Benguet. Eastbound goes to Kennon Road.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Arcangel, Xianne (2013-10-29). "First phase of TPLEX to begin operations Wednesday". GMA News Online. GMA Network Inc. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lowe, Aya (2013-06-12). "TPLEx may extend up to Laoag — Cojuangco". Rappler.com. Ortigas Center, Pasig City: Rappler, Inc. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rebuyas, Michael (2013-11-02). "17-km stretch of TPLEx now open to motorists". The Philippine Star (Mandaluyong City, Philippines). Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Camus, Miguel R. (2013-10-27). "First phase of TPLEx set to open on Oct. 30". Philippine Daily Inquirer (MAkati, Metro Manila: Inquirer.net). Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  5. ↑ "Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEx) Fact Sheet" (PDF). PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) CENTER FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  6. ↑ "PNCC to extend NLEX to Rosario in La Union". Business Mirror (Makati City, Philippines: Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc.). Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  7. ↑ "NEDA BOARD APPROVES TPLEX, INCREASES FINANCING FOR ARMM SOCIAL FUND". National Economic and Development Authority (Philippines). 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  8. ↑ Diaz, Jess (2006-10-07). "Malacañang approves extension of NLEX, SLEX". The Philippine Star (Mandaluyong City, Philippines). Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  9. ↑ NEDA Project Proposal Monitoring
  10. ↑ "San Miguel acquires 35% stake in Tarlac-La Union road project". abs-cbnNEWS.com. 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  11. ↑ Zurbano, Joel (2008-02-04). "Up Ahead: Fast Road to Baguio". Manila Standard (City of Manila, Philippines: Kamahalan Publishing Corporation). Archived from the original on 2008-02-05.
  12. ↑ Zurbano, Joel (2012-04-22). "Tollway is ‘deal of the year’". The Manila Standard (City of Manila, Philippines: Kamahalan Publishing Corporation). Archived from the original on 2012-04-22.
  13. ↑ "PGMA lauds private sector for joining TPLEX project". balita.ph. Philippine News Agency. 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2011-05-30.
  14. ↑ "DPWH speeds up TPLEX construction". Manila Bulletin (Intramuros, Manila, Philippines: Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation). 2011-09-14. Archived from the original on 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  15. ↑ Cervantes, Ding (2013-01-04). "TARLAC-LA UNION EXPRESSWAY PROJECT -- Farmer groups: DPWH paying ‘fake’ claimants". Punto! Central Luzon (City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines: LLL Trimedia Coordinators). Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  16. ↑ Sotelo, Yolanda (2013-01-06). "TPLEX opens in June, cuts travel time by one hour". Northern Watch (Dagupan City, Pangasinan). Retrieved 2013-09-30.
  17. ↑ Palangchao, Harley (2011-05-01). "Solons bat for original TPLEX plan to boost tourism, economy". Baguio Midland Courier (Baguio, Philippines).
  18. ↑ http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/16628/a-hump-at-expressway%E2%80%99s-endpoint
  19. ↑ Role, Jennilyne C. (2010-01-27). "PGMA leads TPLEX groundbreaking". Retrieved 2011-05-30.
  20. ↑ "Arroyo to lead expressway groundbreaking". Sun Star Pangasinan (Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines: Sun Star Publishing Inc.). February 28, 2010. Retrieved 2011-05-30.
  21. ↑ Hermoso, Tito (24 April 2013). "What happens next?". AutoIndustriya.com. AutoIndustriya. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  22. ↑ http://www.philstar.com/business/2014/04/14/1312275/smc-open-new-segment-tplex
  23. ↑ http://www.rappler.com/business/industries/208-infrastructure/31131-tplex-may-extend-up-to-laoag
  24. ↑ http://www.dpwh.gov.ph/ppp/main2.asp?page=a18
  25. ↑ Agcaoili, Lawrence (2013-10-28). "SMC to open Tarlac portion of P24-B TPLEX". The Philippine Star (Mandaluyong City, Philippines). Retrieved 2013-09-30.

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