TPLEX extension to San Juan, La Union approved by NEDA

Those heading to Northern Luzon will soon be able to drive all the way to San Juan, La Union faster and easier.

This has been made possible after the National Economic & Development Authority (NEDA) recently gave the go-ahead to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Extension Project last week. The NEDA Board approved the PHP 23.4 billion extension project after President Marcos Jr. convened a meeting at Malacanan with NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan.

“The NEDA Board has approved the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway or TPLEX Extension Project. In accordance with the Investment Coordination Committee guidelines, this is the fastest unsolicited proposal approval, from its submission on March 17, 2023, to the approval today, June 2, 2023,” said Balisacan.

As a result, the 89.31-kilometer, four-lane expressway will get an additional 59.4-kilometer extension which will see TPLEX extend from Rosario to San Juan, La Union. For Balisacan, the TPLEX Extension Project will spur economic activity in Northern Luzon as it would facilitate connectivity to the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila.

The project will be implemented through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) under the Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH). The NEDA Board has also given the DPWH permission to commence negotiations with the project’s original proponent, San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC).

The first segment will measure 18 km and will link Rosario to Tubao. Meanwhile, Segment 2 will connect Tubao with Naguilian and will span 23 km. Last is Segment 3 which will be 18.4 km long and will span from Naguilian to San Juan.

The first segment is expected to be operational by 2026 while the entire project is set to be completed by 2028. More importantly, the TPLEX Extension Project is estimated to reduce travel time from Rosario to San Juan from 96 minutes to only 42 minutes.

With the expressway set to reach all the way to San Juan, motorists will soon be able to get to Northern Luzon faster in the near future. Perhaps the only question now is, will TPLEX be able to reach all the way to Laoag, Ilocos Norte as envisioned by Ramon S. Ang?