The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered NLEX Corp. to immediately suspend toll collection at the northbound segment of the Marilao Interchange on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) until all four lanes are fully operational.
The directive follows a fatal accident on 18 June involving a container truck that exceeded the height limit and struck the Marilao Interchange Bridge, resulting in one death and six injuries, including a two-year-old child.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the suspension follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s instruction to compensate motorists for time lost and hardship caused by the incident. “This is part of the government’s commitment to protect the public interest,” Dizon said.
The DOTr underscored the corporate accountability of NLEX Corp., reminding it that as a public utility operator under a government concession, it must uphold the highest safety standards. The agency criticized the concessionaire for failing to implement adequate preventive measures—despite prior incidents and official directives—including real-time height monitoring systems and effective overheight vehicle screening protocols.
“This is an unacceptable failure of operational diligence,” the DOTr said, noting that a similar overhead impact occurred at the same location just three months earlier.
Repair efforts are now being expedited to restore full traffic flow at the interchange.
