CCLEX officially opens to motorists at 5:08 p.m. today, April 30

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY -- The 8.9-kilometer Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) officially opens to the motoring public at 5:08 p.m. today, April 30 after it was inaugurated on April 27 with President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan leading the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon marking the inauguration of the CCLEX.

“We are happy and excited to finally welcome motorists to CCLEX, the new icon of Cebu.  The opening of CCLEX to motorists comes after four years of non-stop construction,” Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) President and General Manager Allan Alfon said.

Vehicles that are allowed to use the expressway now are those classified under Classes 1 to 3. Motorcycles under 400cc are not yet allowed on the CCLEX, only by July this year.  The CCLEC is setting up safety measures for motorcycles below 400cc.

Pedestrians and bikers are also still not allowed to use the CCLEX for now as their designated lane will be opened also in July 2022.

CCLEX is a toll expressway that uses an all-electronic toll collection system. To give more time to motorists to have an RFID sticker installed on their vehicles, cash payments will be accepted in the meantime. The full electronic toll collection will be implemented by June 2022.

“We invite motorists in Cebu to have their vehicles installed with CCLEX RFID to be able to use the expressway. Have your units installed with a CCLEX RFID now while it is still free,” Alfon said.

Those who want to schedule their registration can sign up using the online form mptc.outsystemsenterprise.com/ORRAS/ or go to cclex.com.ph and click register.

 Toll rates

The Local Toll Regulatory Council (LTRC) has already authorized the implementation of the approved toll rates for the CCLEX. The LTRC is composed of Chairman Joseph Michael Espina and members Engr. Felix Taguiam, Engr. Virgilio Espelita, Atty. Benjamin Cabrido, Jr. and Ronald Diola. They were jointly appointed by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho.

Approved toll rates include P90 for Class I vehicles such as cars, jeepneys, pick-ups, vans, and motorcycles; P180 for Class I vehicles above 7ft in height (except when the top load is recreational equipment such as bikes, surfboards, and the like which must be securely fastened and not intended for commercial use). 

Payment of P180 for Class II vehicles such as light trucks, tourist/school and public utility buses and P270 for Class III vehicles such as heavy and multi-axle trucks and trailers.

Motorcycles with 125cc to 399cc engine displacement will be allowed on the CCLEX by July this year. The CCLEC is still looking into how much of a discount to give to motorcycles under 400 cc.

The CCLEX Bridge Management Board (BMB) composed of CCLEC President and General Manager Allan Alfon, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cordova Municipality Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho approved through a resolution to allow motorcycles under 400cc on the bridge following a strong clamor from motorcycle users.  The BMB acknowledged that motorcycles have become the preferred mode of transportation in Cebu.

Registration of motorcycles 125cc to 399cc, however, will still be announced at a later date. The sidewalk for pedestrians and bikers which are free to use, will be opened in July this year.

The CCLEX is a Traffic Discipline Zone. To provide safe and seamless experience in passing through the bridge, the CCLEX has 24/7 patrol crews, incident response and standby emergency teams. CCLEX is negotiating with LTO for deputization of these teams.

According to operations manager Mareon Therese Moile, CCLEX has 160 CCTVs that include traffic and incident systems and ALPR camera to detect car plates. Variable message signs are also installed at the bridge including road weather information/rain detector and sensor visibility, humidity, weight in motion in both sides of the bridge.  Speed limit at the bridge is from 60-80kPH, she added.

As the CCLEX starts operations today, April 30, the motoring public is asked to drive at a maximum speed of 60 kph. The CCLEX is designed for maximum speed of up to 80 kph but the CCLEC is implementing a 60 kph limit during initial operations as part of safety measures because motorists are still not familiar with the expressway.

Cash payments for the toll fees are accepted for now at the Toll Plaza and motorists are advised to prepare the exact toll fare and they should not stop at any area in the entire stretch of the expressway.

The expressway is a project of the CCLEC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MPTC, in partnership with the Municipality of Cordova and Cebu City. It is seen to not only to ease traffic congestion in the metro but also spark socio-economic development in the province, according to a study by the University of San Carlos. (Photos: CCLEX FB/Google Images/mbcn)