NLEX Traffic Slows Amid San Simon Floods, Unprecedented Situation Reported

Traffic along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) remained slow-moving in the Tulaoc portion amid the flooding in San Simon, Pampanga Thursday morning, according to an official on the toll highway. NLEX Assistant Vice President for Traffic Operations Robin Ignacio said two lanes under the San Simon Interchange and Tulaoc were already passable despite the flooding. “Sa ating northbound, nandoon po sa more than one kilometer paatras po ng Tulaoc. And then yung southbound, halos wala na po ito, halos wala na tayong queuing,” he told GMA News’ Unang Balita in an interview. (On our northbound, the slow-moving traffic was more than one kilometer back from Tulaoc. And then on the southbound, it’s almost gone, we almost don’t have any queuing.) Floodwaters in Tulaoc already nearly subsided, while around four inches of floodwaters remained in the inner lane at the San Simon Interchange, Ignacio said. As of 6:50 a.m., the NLEX Corporation said in advisory that the Tulaoc portion had slow-moving traffic in the northbound direction with a queue of approximately 1.5 kilometers. Lane 1 was passable to all types of vehicles, while Lane 2 was limited to Class 2 and 3 vehicles. Lane 3 was not passable. At the San Simon Interchange, traffic remained light despite water buildup in all lanes. Lanes 1 and 2 were passable to all types of vehicles, while Lane 3 was not passable. Traffic was reported as light. At the San Simon Interchange southbound, Lane 1 was passable to all vehicles, while Lane 2 was limited to Class 2 and 3 vehicles. Lane 3 was not passable. Meanwhile, several northbound entry points were under traffic restrictions. The Libsong Exit was temporarily closed, while the Sta. Rita, Balagtas, and Pulilan northbound entries were under regulated traffic. Motorists coming from the Tarlac portion of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) or Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and heading south were advised to take the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) toward Maharlika Highway. Ignacio said the clearing the floodwater remained challenging because water levels outside the expressway were higher. NLEX had installed temporary flood barriers including sandbags to prevent additional water from entering the expressway. The company also distributed drinking water and deployed portable toilets for motorists affected by the traffic. Ignacio, however, said the influx of vehicles increased after other alternate routes were flooded. Ignacio said the flooding under the San Simon Interchange was unprecedented as the area had not experienced flooding before. The Tulaoc section had already been raised by 0.7 meter but further elevation is being considered, according to the NLEX official. He noted that this additional action needs to be coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as the agency plans to raise the bridge above the affected section. Ignacio said continuously raising the road may not be enough to address the worsening flooding. There is a proposal to establish a large water impounding area nearby where floodwaters could temporarily be stored and later pumped out once water levels subside. Motorists using the affected NLEX stretch between Pulilan and San Fernando will receive a toll rebate while traffic remains disrupted. The toll fee for the affected section will be credited back to motorists' RFID accounts within 24 hours. Ignacio said the toll rebate would continue until traffic flow in the affected section returns to normal. —VAL, GMA News