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Motorists traversing the North Luzon Expressway are bracing for ‘carmaggedon’ near the Marilao area as workers continue repairs on the Marilao Bridge that was involved in a mishap days ago.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANALY LABOR for the daily tribune @tribunephl_ana
Several sections of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) will be temporarily closed from 24-28 March for safety repairs on the Marilao Interchange Bridge northbound, according to NLEX Corporation.
"Two lanes will be passable for motorists (leftmost and rightmost lanes)," the corporation stated. A zipper lane may also be opened on the southbound direction, depending on traffic conditions.
The advisory follows a 20 March accident in which a trailer truck exceeding the allowed vertical clearance entered the toll plaza, leading to a collision at the Marilao Interchange Bridge.
In a radio interview on Monday, Senior Manager for Traffic Operations Robin Ignacio said that traffic flow has improved compared to previous days. However, congestion may still occur if vehicle volume increases, though not as severe as before.
According to Ignacio, at 1 PM on 24 March, workers will begin lifting the damaged horizontal beam, requiring the closure of one lane, leaving only the two outermost lanes open.
“Kapag maayos ang daloy ng traffic sa southbound, nag-iimplement tayo ng zipper lane. Mabilis naman po ang daloy ng trapiko roon. Pero naaapektuhan ito kapag may zipper lane na. (If traffic remains smooth on the southbound lanes, we will implement a zipper lane. However, once activated, it may affect traffic flow,) ” he added.
The installation of the metal beam is expected to be completed by 11 PM on 28 March.
Ignacio clarified that while the bridge’s vertical clearance is 4.5 meters, only vehicles with a maximum height of 4.27 meters can safely pass.
"Sa mga pasukan, may nakalaan para sa truck. In fact may system po kami ng height detector. Itong truck na ito, nakalusot po sa lower lanes (At the entry points, designated lanes for trucks are in place. We also have a height detection system. However, this truck managed to pass through the lower lanes,)" he explained.
According to Ignacio, a case has been filed against the truck driver, and authorities are also working to hold the truck owner accountable.
Starting noon on 24 March, northbound motorists entering the Balintawak Toll Plaza will not be charged tolls from their Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) accounts or be required to pay toll fees.
The P79 toll relief applies to all northbound motorists entering Balintawak, Karuhatan, Paso de Blas, and Lawang Bato in Valenzuela until Meycauayan, under the open system toll fee collection.
