North Luzon Expressway

NLEX near the Santa Rita interchange in Guiguinto

The North Luzon Expressway's main segment, called the North Luzon Tollway (NLT) or NLEX Main, cuts northwards from Manila to the provinces in Central Luzon.

The expressway begins in Quezon City as a four lane road at the Balintawak Interchange with EDSA as a continuation of A. Bonifacio Avenue. The main segment spans 84 km (52 miles), passing through Caloocan and Valenzuela in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga in Central Luzon. It currently ends in Mabalacat. The NLEX runs parallel to the MacArthur Highway, formerly the Manila North Road.

From Balintawak, the NLEX follows a straight north route, with sections lined by billboards. The N160 concurrency ends with the route near the Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in Caloocan, just below the Skyway and its Balintawak Exit. The expressway then bends westward at Smart Connect Interchange in Valenzuela and in Tambubong Interchange in Bocaue, Bulacan. The following exit, Tabang, leads passengers to the Tabang Spur Road. The Tabang Spur Road is a four-lane, 3.36-kilometer (2.09 mi) spur road in Bulacan that branches off NLEX Main at Tabang Exit in Balagtas and terminates at a partial cloverleaf interchange with MacArthur Highway and Cagayan Valley Road at Guiguinto Exit in Guiguinto.[3] The spur road carried the final leg of the expressway until the present route was extended to Pampanga.

The expressway narrows to three lanes per direction past Tabang Exit. It continues on a straight route, traversing paddy fields on the outskirts of Guiguinto, Malolos, and Pulilan. The Asian Highway 26 (AH26) concurrency leaves NLEX at Santa Rita Exit, where it follows Maharlika Highway, also known as Cagayan Valley Road, towards Baliuag and Cagayan Valley. A few meters after Pulilan Exit is the Candaba Viaduct (officially known as Pulilan-Apalit Bridge). The bridge traverses rice paddies and swampland in the municipalities of Pulilan, Calumpit, Bulacan and Apalit, Pampanga, and crosses Pampanga River before the viaduct ends. The expressway continues again on a straight alignment. After San Fernando Exit, the expressway narrows into two lanes per direction. It continues a mostly straight and gently winding route through the rural areas of Mexico, crossing Abacan and Quitangil rivers, and traversing the eastern parts of Angeles and Mabalacat. NLEX connects with Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway via Clark Spur Road before the main line terminates at Sta. Ines Interchange, with a toll plaza serving the exit.

Collectively known as the North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link Project (NLEX Harbor Link Project),[4] these series of expressways connect the North Luzon Expressway to various points in Metro Manila. It currently runs from Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela to Radial Road 10 in Navotas, linking the North Luzon Expressway to the Port of Manila. Once completed, it will run from Katipunan Avenue, a component of Circumferential Road 5, in Quezon City at the east.

Balintawak Interchange in 1968

The original stretch of the expressway, from Balintawak Interchange in Quezon City up to Guiguinto Exit in Bulacan, was completed on August 4, 1968. It is a fully fenced limited-access highway that consisted of a four-lane rural divided roadway, nine twin bridges, one railroad overpass, seven underpasses, and three interchanges.

Originally a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the completion of the major portion of the job fell on the Construction Development Corporation of the Philippines (CDCP, the precursor to PNCC) to pioneer the toll concept of funding infrastructure.[5] It was carried out under the private financing scheme provided by Republic Act No. 3741.

Additional work required by the government included the construction of the Balintawak – Novaliches Interchange Complex, the Tabang Interchange, and the approach road of the underpasses.

In 1976, the NLT extension, consisting of 50.9 kilometers (31.6 mi) of concrete road, was built as part of a highways program of the International Bank for Reconstruction Development (World Bank) linking major urban centers to the production centers in the north. The project features a 4-lane limited-access highway with a 5-kilometer (3.1 mi) Candaba Viaduct, a construction innovation utilizing precast beam system, 6 interchanges, 12 bridges, and overpass/underpass structures.[1]

Between 1986 and 1991, under the Corazon Aquino administration, the expressway was extended by another 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from its terminus at Dau Exit to Sta. Ines Exit in Mabalacat, Pampanga.[6] In 1998, Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) was granted the concession for the expressway, manifested in a Supplementary Toll Operation Agreement (STOA). Under the STOA, the government confirmed the assignment by PNCC of its usufructuary rights, interest and privileges over the existing expressway, including all extensions, linkages and diversions in favor of MNTC. These concession rights authorized MNTC to construct, finance, manage, operate and maintain all the project roads and charge tolls thereon.[7]

A segment of NLEX in 1999, with a passing Partas bus

The San Fernando toll plaza in 2001, few years before the rehabilitation

From February 2003 to February 2005, the expressway underwent a major rehabilitation. Works included the widening of the Balintawak–Tabang segment from 6 to 8 lanes and the Tabang–Sta. Rita segment from 4 to 6 lanes, asphalt overlay, and the demolition of old tollbooths. The main contractor of the rehabilitation work was Leighton Asia with Egis Projects as the main subcontractor for the toll, telecommunication and traffic management systems. To help maintain the safety and quality of the expressway, various rules are in effect, such as restricting the left lane to passing vehicles only and banning overloaded trucks. On February 10, 2005, commercial operations began following the Toll Regulatory Board's issuance of the Toll Operation Permit. On the same day, the operation and maintenance of the expressway was transferred from the government-owned Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) to the Manila North Tollways Corporation, which would later become known as NLEX Corporation.[7][8]

On February 12, 2007, the entire stretch of the expressway began another rehabilitation regarding its drainage systems. Within this period, certain lanes of the road were closed to the traffic. This in turn caused massive traffic jams along the road and the speed limit on the construction sites were reduced from 80 km/h (50 mph) and 100 km/h (62 mph), respectively, to 60 km/h (37 mph). The program was finished on October 7, 2007.

NLEX in San Simon, after the 2016 expansion project

On June 5, 2010, NLEX Segment 8.1 or NLEX Mindanao Avenue Link was opened. The new spur road of NLEX is a part of the C-5 Road North Extension and is built to provide another entry point to the expressway from Metro Manila and decongest Balintawak Interchange.

On March 18, 2015, NLEX Segment 9 or the NLEX Karuhatan Link was opened, providing continuation to Segment 8.1 that runs from the other side of the Smart Connect Interchange to MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela.

On February 28, 2019, the main stretch of NLEX Segment 10 or the NLEX Harbor Link, from Karuhatan to C-3 Road, was opened to traffic.[9][10][11] On February 21, 2020, its C3–R10 Section was partially opened up to its Malabon exit ramp;[12] the remaining section to Radial Road 10 was opened on June 15, 2020.[13]

The main expressway has been a subject of some legislative measures for its proposed renaming. These were filed to commemorate to the historical significance and contributions of its intended namesakes, respectively. However, none has taken effect to date, as these await a counterpart measure from the Senate before it can be signed into law by the President of the Philippines.

On May 10, 2015, the House Committee on Public Works and Highways approved House Bill No. 4820 that seeks to rename the expressway to President Corazon C. Aquino Expressway (CAEX), in honor of former President Corazon Aquino, who was regarded as an icon of democracy. It was authored by Magnolia Rosa Antonino-Nadres, the then-representative from the 4th district of Nueva Ecija.[14]

On May 13, 2019, the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading the House Bill No. 8958 that seeks to rename the expressway to the Marcelo H. del Pilar Expressway (MHDPEX),[15] in honor of Marcelo H. del Pilar, a revolutionary writer and patriot from Bulacan. The bill is principally authored by Bulacan's 1st district representative Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.[16][17]

Construction progress at Blumentritt PNR station (March 2022)

Plans for a construction of an elevated road to connect North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) has been bared long before the construction of NLEX Connector.

The government reportedly accepted the unsolicited proposal from Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corporation (MPTDC) to build the 13.24-kilometer (8.23 mi) road. MPTDC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), which runs NLEX. This would later be known as the NLEX Connector Road project, the elevated expressway which will have run over the Philippine National Railways tracks from the existing Segment 10 (Harbor Link) in Caloocan to the future interchange with Skyway Stage 3 near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) campus in Santa Mesa, Manila.[19] Construction of the project is estimated to cost ₱17 billion, but as an "all-elevated" or completely grade-separated structure, right-of-way acquisition shall be reduced to an estimated cost of only ₱2.41 billion.

Once completed, the Connector Road will have four entry and exit points: the Caloocan Interchange, C-3 Road in Caloocan, España in Sampaloc, Manila, and terminating at the Skyway Stage 3 in Santa Mesa, Manila. It broke ground on February 28, 2019, at the same time NLEX Connector was inaugurated and opened to traffic, officially indicating that the NLEX Karuhatan Link and Segment 10 are mostly complete.[20] Section 1, spanning 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from Caloocan to España is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2022, while Section 2, also known as the Sta. Mesa Section spanning 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from España to Santa Mesa is expected to be completed by the end of the same year.[21] Its construction takes into consideration the upcoming parallel construction of the southern segment of the North–South Commuter Railway.

Groundbreaking of Section 2, spanning from España to Santa Mesa was held on December 14, 2021. The civil works of Section 2 would be handled by China Road and Bridge Corporation.[22] Construction of Section 2 began on February 8, 2022.[23]

As of December 2021, the project is 60% complete.[22]

NLEX Phase 3 would be a 40-kilometer (25 mi) extension with three segments from NLEX Main, originally in San Simon, Pampanga, to Dinalupihan, Bataan, connecting to Subic Bay Freeport Zone via Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway.[24] However, the plan did not push through. It would instead start somewhere between Apalit and San Fernando in Pampanga, then will cut across Guagua and end at Dinalupihan.[25] Though the project will start tentatively from Apalit based on the concession, the new alignment has yet to be finalized.[26]

Pillars are built on NLEX between its Balintawak toll plaza and Skyway Stage 3's Balintawak/NLEX off-ramp to accommodate a future toll road to the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan.[27] The future project, to be built by San Miguel Corporation, will expand the capacity of NLEX by adding new 4-5 lanes up to Marilao, which was selected for another toll road to the future airport. After the completion of this elevated toll road, NLEX will have 11-13 lanes total (3-4 lanes per direction on NLEX + 5 lanes on the elevated segment) from Balintawak Cloverleaf to Marilao, ultimately bypassing the NLEX's open section.

Emergency telephone boxes are located throughout the whole length of the expressway.[32] Parking bays (lay-bys) are also placed on regular intervals on the expressway, for use in emergency situations.[33]

North Luzon Expressway has ten service areas with 5 on both Northbound and Southbound, mostly located on the closed toll section north of Bocaue. Each service station hosts a gas station, restaurants, and a convenience store, as well as ATMs and restrooms, car repair, and lubrication services.

List of services in NLEX

Northbound

• Petron KM 23 Northbound
• Shell Balagtas Northbound
• Petron KM 42 Northbound
• Total Apalit Northbound
• Petron Lakeshore Northbound

Southbound

• NLEX Drive&Dine Southbound
• Petron KM 30 Southbound
• Shell of Asia Guiguinto Southbound
• Mega Caltex San Fernando Southbound
• Shell Mexico Southbound

The west end of Tabang Spur Road at Guiguinto Exit

The entire route will be located in Bulacan. 

City/Municipality	km	mi	Exit	Name	Destinations	Notes
Guiguinto	36	22	36	Guiguinto	N1 (MacArthur Highway / Cagayan Valley Road) – Guiguinto, Malolos, Balagtas	Western terminus & end of expressway; continues west as N2 (MacArthur Highway)
	36	22			St. Francis Street	T-Intersection
	36	22	Shell service station (eastbound only)
	36	22	Tabang toll plaza
	34	21		Tabe	Tabe	Access for westbound motorists only [39]
Balagtas	32	20	32		AH 26 (E1) (NLEX Main) – Manila	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Incomplete access       Tolled

Also known as the NLEX–SLEX Connector Road, it is under construction.[40] 

Province	City/Municipality	km	mi	Exit	Name	Destinations	Notes
Caloocan					Caloocan Interchange	E5 (NLEX Harbor Link) – Port of Manila, Mindanao Avenue, Tarlac	Northern terminus; continues north as E5 (NLEX Harbor Link); also connects with the C3–R10 Section of NLEX Harbor Link
					C-3 Road	N130 (C-3 Road)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Manila					España	N170 (España Boulevard)	Includes toll plaza on both northbound and southbound lanes
					Santa Mesa	N180 (Magsaysay Boulevard)[23]	Southern terminus; continues south as Skyway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Unopened