The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) will open to the motoring public at 5:08 p.m. today. The 8.9-kilometer expressway was inaugurated last April 27 in ceremonies led by President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
“We are happy and excited to finally welcome motorists to CCLEX, the new icon of Cebu,” said Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) President and General Manager Allan G. Alfon.
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. They will be allowed to use the expressway 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. Their designated lane will be opened also in July.
CCLEX is a toll expressway that will use 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.
The expressway is a project of the CCLEC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MPTC, in partnership with the Municipality of Cordova and City of Cebu. It is seen to not only 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.
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 P. Espina and members Engr. Felix Taguiam, Engr. Virgilio G. Espelita, Atty. Benjamin A. Cabrido, Jr. and Ronald O. Diola. They were jointly appointed by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho.
The approved rates are:
- P90 for Class I vehicles such as cars, jeepneys, pick-ups, vans, and motorcycles. The CCLEC is still looking into how much of a discount to give for motorcycles under 400cc.
- 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).
- P180 for Class II vehicles such as light trucks, tourist/school and public utility buses.
- 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 also still looking into how much of a discount to give to motorcycles under 400 cc.
The move to allow motorcycles under 400cc is backed by a resolution approved by the CCLEX Bridge Management Board (BMB). It came following a strong clamor from motorcycle users. The BMB said that motorcycles have become the preferred mode of transportation in Cebu.
The CCLEX BMB is composed of Alfon, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, and Cordova Municipality Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho.
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. The expressway has a 24/7 traffic patrol crew to enforce traffic laws as well as an emergency team ro respondent to incidents.
As the CCLEX starts operations today, 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.
Motorists should not stop at any area in the entire stretch of the expressway. Cash payments will be accepted in the meantime and motorists are advised to prepare the exact toll fare.
The opening of CCLEX to motorists comes after four years of non-stop construction.