DOTr asks NLEX to waive toll while Marilao bridge is under repair
LONG WAIT Heavy traffic was observed at the northbound lane of the North Luzon Expressway along the Marilao interchange bridge on March 21, 2025. — NLEX Corp./FACEBOOK
MANILA, Philippines — Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon on Friday called on the North Luzon Expressway Corp. (NLEx) to allocate additional lanes and waive tolls for motorists at the Balintawak-Marilao segment following Wednesday’s accident at the Marilao interchange bridge.
In a statement, Dizon said it was “only reasonable” for NLEx to waive toll from motorists passing the northbound side of the expressway while bridge repairs were underway.
The bridge was damaged by a Bataan-bound 18-wheeler truck that had a height of 4.9 meters, exceeding the expressway’s 4.2-meter vertical clearance limit. The truck illegally used a nontruck lane to bypass height restrictions and damaged two girders of the Marilao interchange bridge, according to Police Col. Eulogio Lamqui III, chief of Marilao police.
READ: Suspend NLEx toll in areas affected by Marilao bridge repair – Dizon
READ: Repair of Marilao Interchange Bridge may take 2 to 3 weeks — NLEx exec
On Thursday, as the repair began, traffic in the northbound lanes at the Marilao side of NLEx was so heavy that it reached the town of Meycauayan.
“Motorists will be suffering twofold if they will be collected the entire toll while they are stuck in the traffic for several hours, despite the short distance that they are supposed to travel. It is a small consolation for the inconvenience being suffered by motorists and passengers,” Dizon said.
“President Marcos’ instruction has always been to [lessen commuting hours] for the public. That is why we have to fix this so that motorists and passengers will not be stuck in traffic for several hours,” he added.
The secretary also affirmed an earlier statement by NLEx management that the repair works for the bridge would be complete in less than two weeks.
Aside from the toll holiday for the affected NLEx segment, Dizon said that it is also necessary to allocate additional lanes to immediately address traffic congestion.
In response, NLEx Corp. said it had already opened one additional lane, providing a total of three lanes to allow a faster flow of traffic.
In an update on its Facebook page, the NLEx said that as of 4:05 p.m. on Friday, the three lanes were passable with vehicles’ running speed at 10 to 29 kilometers per hour. A zipper lane has also been allocated after the Valenzuela interchange.
Meanwhile, the Toll Regulatory Board already asked NLEx to explain why it shouldn’t face penalties for allowing a truck with excessive vertical clearance to enter the toll plaza, damaging the bridge.
NLEx, on the other hand, filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property against the driver and the owners of the truck.
For its part, the Land Transportation Office immediately issued a show cause order to the truck company and its driver.
Dizon assured the public that the DOTr and its attached agencies are working closely with NLEx to repair the damaged bridge as quickly as possible.
“We are in close coordination with NLEx management, and we thank them for their urgent response to the incident and their cooperation to mitigate traffic,” the transport chief said.
