CLARK FREEPORT The NLEX Corporation has thanked Pampanga Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda for supporting the weight limit for trucks plying the NLEX-SCTEX expressways.
Pineda supported the move by gathering truckers and relevant agencies to agree on the 33-ton weight limit on the Candaba Viaduct Southbound while the urgent repairs are ongoing.
“We are delighted that truckers in Pampanga, thru the efforts of Governor Pineda, have signified their willingness to comply with the weight limits on our expressways,” NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista said, noting that “the anti-overloading program aims to uphold safety by restricting overloaded vehicles from entering the expressways or by asking them to go to the nearest exit point as the extra load may affect vehicle control, thus, cause accidents and endanger other motorists.”
For the first half of the year, more than 8,000 were given traffic tickets at the expressways for violating the anti-overloading provision stated in Republic Act 8794 or “An Act Imposing a Motor Vehicle User’s Charge on Owners of all Types of Motor Vehicle and for Other Purposes.”
The said law specifies the vehicle load limits and cites that a penalty shall be imposed on trucks and trailers for loading beyond their prescribed gross vehicle weight and axle load exceeding 13.5 tons.
NLEX teams are positioned at strategic entry points to weigh vehicles and determine their compliance or violation of the said law. They also prohibit the entry of vehicles carrying loose construction aggregates not leveled and/or improperly covered as stated in the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Revised Safety Rules and Regulations.
The intensified operations will help reduce the risk of accidents attributed to overloading and boost road safety since overloaded vehicles damage road surfaces with their excess weight.
In addition, the tollway company is currently implementing stringent measures in line with the ongoing urgent safety repair of the Candaba Viaduct Southbound. Loaded trucks, trailers, and other heavy equipment weighing 33 tons and above (12-wheelers and up) are barred from passing through the bridge to further preserve the structure and allow the repair of the observed damage to its deck and girders.
AMH Philippines, NLEX Corp.’s engineering consultant, previously mentioned that subjecting the Candaba Viaduct to heavy loads more than what the bridge was designed for is causing continuous cyclical fatigue stress, which in turn affect the condition of the bridge.
For more than 40 years, the Candaba Viaduct has been a significant part of the motorists’ everyday life, serving as a vital transport link between Metro Manila and the provinces in Central and North Luzon.
The five-kilometer bridge plays an important role in ensuring the safe transport of people and delivery of essential goods and services, supporting economic development in the north.
Besides the stricter enforcement of the regulations, NLEX also conducted roadshows and dialogues with various transport groups and local government units regarding the heightened drive against overloaded vehicles and educate them on proper loading and other safety rules.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).