Philippines: Holy Week exodus / TPLEX opens 2 more exits

[sammi]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/17/14/heavy-traffic-nlex-holy-week-exodus-continues

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – Travelers taking advantage of the long Holy Week break experienced heavy traffic in several parts of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Thursday morning.

Northbound traffic leading to the Balintawak and Mindanao toll plazas was stalled due to the high volume of vehicles at around 8 a.m., but traffic cleared at 11 a.m.

It's Holy Thursday, so people are traveling to the provinces to visit their families etc. and spend the long weekend there. Everyone makes their way home on the tollways, so this is what happens. This is the NLEX (Toll 3), facing south. Northbound is clearly congested, while southbound is moving well, just like a typical afternoon on the DVP.




A similar situation occurred on the TPLEX (Toll 3), as 2 new exits were opened in Anao, Tarlac and Carmen, Pangasinan.

Paniqui - Carmen section of TPLEX was opened to motorists at 4:10 pm yesterday. Within 30 minutes, puno na ang Carmen toll plaza but transaction time was fast with 4 exit lanes and several ambulant tellers. Early this morning, the big rush of traffic arrived. At the TPLEX Central Plaza, which serves as SCTEX exit, 8 lanes were opened, with ambulant tellers. At Carmen, queuing reached 800 meters but transaction time was still relatively fast with 4 exit lanes, 2 tandem lanes and many ambulant tellers. On the other hand, nilalangaw na ang Paniqui exit. Lumipat na karamihan sa Carmen. (On the other hand, Paniqui exit is [literal] attracting flies. Almost everyone moved to Carmen.)

In order to open on schedule, many workers, drivers and operators, including at two asphalt plants, worked 3 days and nights straight. TPLEX section available to motorists is now 49.3 km long, and still getting longer.

Source

[bing101]

Well Holy Week Traffic on NLEX and SLEX is more like Interstate 5, I-10, US-101 and CA-60 in the East LA Interchange at rush hour.

[Chris]

It seems common in semi-developed countries that many people who migrated to the large cities for work return to their hometowns during the holidays. Some countries make their toll roads toll free for the holidays (China does that, and I believe Sri Lanka does it too).

[sammi]

Well Holy Week Traffic on NLEX and SLEX is more like Interstate 5, I-10, US-101 and CA-60 in the East LA Interchange at rush hour.

Nah, you're thinking EDSA.



(I bet the same thing is happening inside that train.)

Some countries make their toll roads toll free for the holidays (China does that, and I believe Sri Lanka does it too).

They don't do that in the PH. It's actually better for their business because of the amount of traffic they're getting during holidays. Paniqui - Carmen is only toll-free because it had just opened. That section will start charging tolls a month from yesterday.

[bing101]

Well Holy Week Traffic on NLEX and SLEX is more like Interstate 5, I-10, US-101 and CA-60 in the East LA Interchange at rush hour.

Nah, you're thinking EDSA.



(I bet the same thing is happening inside that train.)

Some countries make their toll roads toll free for the holidays (China does that, and I believe Sri Lanka does it too).

They don't do that in the PH. It's actually better for their business because of the amount of traffic they're getting during holidays. Paniqui - Carmen is only toll-free because it had just opened. That section will start charging tolls a month from yesterday.

Well Sammi don't worry Here in America we will face our own version of Road Reblocking called "Fix US-50" in Sacramento Next week but all the pictures you provided remind me of the Hollywood Freeway at rush hour or I-880 Oakland to Bay Bridge at Rush hour.