CANDABA, Pampanga — The North Luzon Expressway is set to construct another highway adjacent to the two 5.3-kilometer viaducts that connect the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan.

Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Third District Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. advocated for the building of new long bridges to replace the 46-year-old viaducts. The official added that the two viaducts that bridge the Candaba swampland should be replaced due to safety concerns.

During a consultation meeting with Pampanga officials, the NLEX Corp. officials showed their plans for the construction of the third viaduct.

The Pampanga Representative was elated over the news of the third viaduct.

He said that the new road and the improvement of the present expressway will ensure the continued interconnectivity of Metro Manila and areas south of Luzon, on the one hand, and central and northern Luzon, on the other.

Currently, thousands of vehicles utilize the two old viaducts, with Gonzales citing that billions of pesos worth of goods are transported between the National Capital Region and central and northern Luzon through NLEX, of which the long elevated bridges across the 30-meter deep Candaba swamps are a part of.

"So safety issues arising from the two viaducts' age and their constant use and heavy load are a real concern. I am glad that the expressway operator is addressing these," Gonzales explained.