MANILA, Philippines – Heavy traffic hampered motorists traveling along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on Maundy Thursday, April 6.

Thursday marks the first day of a five-day-long Holy Week break that will run from Maundy Thursday to Monday, April 10, Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor). President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared April 10 a regular holiday as the actual holiday falls on a Sunday. (LIST: Long weekends in 2023)

As of 2 pm, here’s the traffic update in the expressway’s northbound lanes, according to NLEX Corporation:

• After Balintawak Toll Plaza to NLEX Harbor Link Interchange Northbound: Around five to 10 kilometers per hour (kph) running speed
• Balintawak to Marilao northbound: around 45 minutes travel time
• Valenzuela Interchange to Bocaue Northbound: around 20 to 40 kph running speed, but all lanes remain passable.
• Shell Burol Northbound: around 10 to 20 kph
• Shell Burol to Sta. Rita Northbound: around 20 to 40 kph running speed due to increased volume of vehicles. All lanes passable.
• Pulilan to San Simon Northbound: around 30 to 50 kph running speed due to increased volume of vehicles. All lanes passable.
• San Simon to Mexico Lakeshore Northbound: around 20 to 40 kph running speed
• Mexico Lakeshore to Balem Northbound: around 30 to 50 kph running speed

The heavy traffic situation is due to increased volume of vehicles, according to NLEX Corp.. However, all lanes in these locations are passable.

NLEX Corp. said patrol teams were assigned in strategic locations to manage the traffic situation. Meanwhile, there was light traffic in other areas of NLEX and in the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), including the expressways’ toll plazas and interchanges.

To monitor the live traffic situation in NLEX and SCTEX, watch the video below:

NLEX

SCTEX

– Rappler.com

LIST: Mall schedules for Holy Week 2023