New Subic-Clark expressway junction proposed

By Albert B. Lacanlale - Sun Star

SAN Fernando City Mayor Oscar Rodriguez and the Advocates for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) recommended on Wednesday the provision of another interchange at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) to serve Angeles City and at least five other towns of Pampanga.

The proposal of the "Angeles Interchange" comes even as the group that met in a forum with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and other sectoral leaders at the Herbs and Greens Restaurant in Barangay Baliti here continues to support similar proposals to create interchanges in Porac and Mabalacat.

"We continue to support the proposed interchange in Porac," said ADCL chairman Rene Romero.

Romero said an interchange in the Angeles City area, just outside the Clark Special Economic Zones (CSEZ), is ideal to prevent traffic jams in Porac if and when the proposed Porac interchange is opened and SCTEx is fully operational.

He explained that Porac's main roads may not be wide enough to accommodate the huge number of vehicles since all vehicles coming from various points of Pampanga like San Fernando, Bacolor, Apalit, Minalin and Angeles City would pass through the second district town to gain access to SCTEx.

Heavy traffic inside Clark may also be triggered if motorists would opt to use the two interchanges inside the ecozone as points of entry and exit to the soon-to-be opened tollway.

"As much as possible, we do not want traffic jams building up inside Clark so as not to dishearten investors," Romero said.

He added that cargoes using Clark as point of exit from SCTEx may mean additional expenses for firms as they would have to pay customs fee to bring out their freight.

With the present traffic problems in Clark and Porac, he said, the Angeles interchange should be opened.

Romero said that instead of constructing bridges to connect San Fernando and Angeles City to the Porac interchange, the fund that would have been allocated can be used to erect another interchange.

The Angeles interchange will be accessible to the City of San Fernando, Apalit, Bacolor, Guagua, Minalin and other towns via the East Lateral embankment of the FVR Megadike or Manila North Road.

However, the BCDA, the agency implementing the SCTEx project, said it would have to study the proposal first and determine possible funding.

Romero said that although their group is advocating for the provisions of the interchanges, their main thrust is the completion of SCTEx. "These interchanges will come when SCTEx has become fully operational. Our first and foremost wish is for the tollway to be completed immediately," he said.

The ADCL, a self-proclaimed watchdog of the SCTEx project, envisions four major areas for total development of the region and the rest of Northern Luzon. These are infrastructure development, supporting physical development as backbone of business and investment; human resource development, to ensure a steady flow of reliable and dependable labor supply; environmental management, to guarantee the welfare and fortification of natural resources; and good governance, the vital factor that will ensure the realization and accomplishment of all of the aspirations.

"I would like to declare that ADCL is a self-motivated crusader for the welfare of development in Central Luzon. Our mandate comes from each and every Kapampangans' desire for progress and development in our province," Romero said