The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is targeting to start the construction of the P23.36 billion extension of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) to San Juan, La Union by July 2025.
The agency and San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) signed the contract for the construction of a 59.4-kilometer extension of the TPLEX all the way to San Juan, La Union.
“With the signed PPP contract, the STEIC and DPWH can now proceed with detailed engineering design (DED), parcellary plan, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for all the segments, so that we can commence civil works by July 2025,” Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said.
According Bonoan, the TPLEX Extension is a three-segment project with first segment targeted for completion before the end of President Marcos’ term in 2028.
Segment 1 will start from the last exit of TPLEX at Rosario and end in Tubao, which is an additional 18.5-kilometer of 4-lane road, while Segment 2 will cover the 23.1-kilometer section from Tubao to Naguilian; and Segment 3 which extends 17.8-kilometer from Naguilian to San Juan, La Union.
The TPLEX Extension will have five interchanges namely Rosario, Tubao, Naguilian, Bauang, and San Juan.
When completed, the TPLEX Extension will reduce travel time from Rosario to San Juan, La Union from the current one and a half hour to just 40 minutes, further promoting investments and economic development up north.
San Miguel-led Private Infra Dev Corp. holds the TPLEX concession which is an 88.85-kilometer, high-speed, four-lane toll road that connects Northern Luzon to Manila. It is designed to integrate with other major toll roads such as North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
The construction of the TPLEX began in 2010 in three phases. The first was completed in April 2014, from Tarlac City to Carmen, Pangasinan.
The second stretch from Carmen to Urdaneta was completed in December 2014. The third section is from Urdaneta to Rosario, La Union.
