Component
highways: R-8 R-8 | Length 93.77 km | |
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North end: Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (in Brgy. Amucao, Tarlac City, Tarlac) South end: Subic–Tipo Expressway (in Brgy. Tipo, Hermosa, Bataan) Major cities Tarlac City, Angeles, Mabalacat, Olongapo Towns Hermosa, Bataan, Dinalupihan, Floridablanca, Pampanga, Porac, Concepcion, Tarlac | ||
The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) is a 93.77-kilometre (58.27 mi) four-lane expressway north of Manila, in the Philippines built by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), a government owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Started on April 5, 2005, the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) is the country’s longest expressway at 93.77 kilometres (58.27 miles). Commercial operations started on April 28, 2008, with the opening of the Subic-Clark Segment and Zone A of the portion of Clark-Tarlac Segment. The opening of Zones B and C of the remaining Clark-Tarlac Segment on July 25, 2008 signaled the full operations of the SCTEX.
Contents
- Map of Subic Clark Tarlac Expy Philippines
- Project description
- Major components
- Operations and maintenance
- Funding
- Construction
- Soft opening
- Subic Clark Segment opening
- Clark Tarlac Segment opening
- Other related developments
- Technical specifications
- Current Exits
- Renaming of the Subic Tipo Expressway SCTEX and TPLEx to North Luzon West Expressway
- Extension to La Union
- References
Map of Subic - Clark - Tarlac Expy, Philippines
The SCTEX seeks to transform the Central Luzon region into a world-class logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region through the integration of economic activities in the Subic Bay Freeport, the Clark Freeport Zone, and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac and by linking major infrastructures such as the Seaport in Subic and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark.
The southern terminus of the SCTEX is at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales, it passes through the Clark Freeport Zone in two interchanges: Clark North and Clark South. The expressway is linked to the North Luzon Expressway through the Mabalacat Interchange, and its northern terminus is at Brgy. Amucao in Tarlac City, Tarlac.
The expressway crosses the 4 rivers in Central Luzon region. The rivers along SCTEx are Dinalupihan River in Bataan, Gumain River in Floridablanca, Pasig-Potrero River in Porac (both located within the province of Pampanga) and Sacobia River in Concepcion, Tarlac.
Project description
The 93.77-kilometre (58.27 mi), four-lane expressway is divided into two major segments:
- Subic-Clark Segment – 50.5 kilometres (31.4 miles) (Contractor: Kajima-Obayashi-JFE Engineering-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Inc. Joint Venture) and
- Clark-Tarlac segment – 43.27 kilometres (26.89 miles) (Contractor: Hazama-Taisei-Nippon Steel Joint Venture).
The consultants were Oriental Consultant-Katahira & Engineering International-Nippon Koei Co., LTD Joint Venture
Major components
Following are the components of the SCTEX:
Operations and maintenance
The SCTEX business and operating agreement between the BCDA and the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC), and its holdings companies Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), was signed July 25, 2011. Under the business and operating agreement, MNTC will operate and manage SCTEX for 33 years, while relieving BCDA of the heavy financial burden of paying the ₱34-billion debt to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). By virtue of the Agreement, the SCTEX can be considered as having been built at no cost to Government.
Funding
Total cost of the SCTEX is ₱34.907 billion. Seventy-eight percent of the cost were funded by way of a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-with an interest rate of 0.95% per annum; 22 percent represents the BCDA counterpart.
Construction
The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway or SCTEx Project was initiated under the administration of former President Joseph Estrada with an original project cost of ₱15.73 billion. Construction was started in 2005 under the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It is the longest tollway in the Philippines that connects Subic, Clark and Tarlac. It was completed with a project cost of ₱34.957 billion.
Soft opening
On March 18, 2008 at exactly 1 PM, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opened the Subic - Clark segment of the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway for the Holy Week Dry Run. This helped the motorists celebrating Holy Week in Zambales and Bataan. The Dry Run was free and for Class 1 Vehicles Only. The Holy Week Dry Run was from March 18: 1 PM to 5:30 PM and March 19 to 24: 5:30 AM to 5:30 PM because the expressway had no lights yet.
Subic - Clark Segment opening
On April 28, 2008 at exactly 12 noon, BCDA Announced the Subic - Clark Segment of Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway was now open to all vehicles. BCDA said that travel time from Manila to Subic via North Luzon Expressway would now only take 1 Hour and 40 Minutes while the travel time from Clark to Subic would only take 40 minutes. Exit to Dolores (formerly Clark North A Exit) continues to MacArthur road.
Clark - Tarlac Segment opening
On July 25, 2008 12:01 am, the BCDA announced the opening of the Clark-Tarlac Segment of the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway. Travel time from Clark to Tarlac was reduced to only 25 Minutes and to travel the entire length of the SCTEx would only take 1 Hour and 5mins. or 65 Minutes. At the same time, the travel time from Manila to Tarlac via NLEx and the SCTEx would only take 1 Hour and 25 Minutes.
Other related developments
The expressway is part of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority's Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway Project or SCTEP, which aims to connect the ecozones of Subic and Clark. The joint-venture of First Philippine Infrastructure Development Corporation (FPIDC), Tollways Management Corporation and Egis Projects, the same concessionaires of the North Luzon Expressway, will handle all the operations and maintenance of the expressway. First Philippine Infrastructure Development Corporation is a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings, a holding company under the Lopez Group of Companies with core investments in power and tollways, and strategic initiatives in property and manufacturing. FPIDC eventually sold to Metro Pacific Investments Corporation in 2008. The four-lane divided highway is divided into two major sections. The first section, the Subic-Clark section is 50.5 kilometres (31.4 mi) long; the Clark-Tarlac section measures 43.27 kilometres (26.89 mi) long. Undertaking the construction for the first section are the Kajima-Obayashi-JFE Engineering-Mitsubishi (KOJM) Joint Venture and the second section under Hazama-Taisei-Nippon Steel (HTN) Joint Venture.
The total cost for the construction of the expressway is ₱34.957 billion. It was sourced through a loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) amounting to ¥41.93 billion or ₱23.06 billion-with an interest rate of 0.95% per annum.
₱25.737 billion of the total project cost represents direct costs such as expenses incurred for the construction of the SCTEX. The indirect costs of ₱7.146 billion include land acquisition, consultancy services, project management expenses and taxes and duties. Financing costs of ₱2.074 billion include the Department of Finance guarantee fee and JBIC loan interest during the construction period. Toll Fees are approved by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB)
On March 2016, the integration of the North Luzon Expressway and the SCTEX was competed, in time for the Holy Week exodus. Among the integration plans which costed 650 million pesos are the reduction of toll collection stops, construction of additional toll plazas and the conversion of the electronic toll collection of the two expressways into a single system.
Technical specifications
Current Exits
Exits are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as Kilometer 0. Exits start at 91 because the NLEX is connected with SCTEX. Thus, the last exit of NLEX will be succeeded by an exit in SCTEX.
Renaming of the Subic-Tipo Expressway, SCTEX, and TPLEx to North Luzon West Expressway
After the two tollways namely the SCTEX and TPLEx have been all operational, plans to rename these three tollways together with the Subic-Tipo Expressway as the North Luzon West Expressway was already approved mainly because it traverses northwards via the western side of the North Luzon region and to make it easier to distinguish together with its counterpart the North Luzon East Expressway which traverses northwards via the eastern side of the North Luzon region. This project is under the "Public Private Partnership Program" of President Benigno Aquino III.
Extension to La Union
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo plans to extend the SCTEX to Rosario, La Union from Tarlac City via the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway which is the Phase 2 extension of the North Luzon Expressway and the Phase 2 of the North Luzon West Expressway. The Clark-Tarlac segment of SCTEX is classed as the extension of Phase 1 of the North Luzon Expressway and also the Phase 1 of the North Luzon West Expressway. Construction began in January 2009 and to be completed sometime in 2016.