From the west, CLLEX begins at a trumpet interchange with the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX) in Tarlac City. The expressway intersects Santa Rosa–Tarlac Road at a diamond interchange where the expressway passes above grade. The expressway then passes agricultural land, before turning east as it enters La Paz. It crosses La Paz–Victoria Road where an interchange serving entering westbound vehicles and exiting eastbound vehicles, connects the two. The expressway continues east as it crosses through a viaduct over the Rio Chico River, and crosses the Tarlac–Nueva Ecija boundary before crossing the Talavera River.
The expressway then continues east as it enters Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. It turns northeast as it meets Zaragoza interchange, a trumpet interchange connecting with Zaragoza–Aliaga Road. It makes a reverse curve turning southeast before crossing Guimba–Aliaga Road as it enters Aliaga, where a temporary exit is built as the expressway's current terminus.
History
In 2010, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) formulated the creation of an expressway network under the High Standard Highway Network Development Master Plan, focusing on a growth area within the 200 km (120 mi) radium sphere of Metro Manila. The DPWH, under JICA's assistance, completed the feasibility study for the proposed Central Luzon Expressway (CLEX) on the same year.
The proposed project was to divided into two (2) phases: Phase 1 with a 30.7 km (19.1 mi) network beginning from the connection of SCTEX and TPLEX in Balingcanaway, Tarlac City and ends at the Pan-Philippine Highway (Daang Maharlika) in Caalibangbangan, Cabanatuan; and Phase 2 with 35.7 km (22.2 mi) network beginning from the Phase 1 terminus in Cabanatuan and ends at San Jose town proper.[6]
The project was renamed to Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) in 2011 after the preparatory survey and final report plan for Phase 1 was concluded.[7]
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would fund the construction of the 66.4-kilometer (41.3 mi) CLLEX, while operation and maintenance would be under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme. The construction of the CCLEX Phase 1 project was funded thru the Official Development Assistance (Japan) grant of ¥22,796,000,000 (₱11.87 billion, March 2012 exchange rate) at a signing agreement ceremony by the Foreign Affairs SecretaryAlberto Romulo and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe.[8]
In the President Benigno Aquino III's State of the Nation address in 2014, the CLLEX was one of many of the administration's priority projects involving massive infrastructure spending in Central Luzon.[9]
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 22, 2017, along with the beginning of construction.[10] The expressway was originally planned to open in December 2020, but was repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first 18 kilometers (11 mi) of the expressway from Tarlac City to Aliaga was inaugurated by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 15, 2021. The expressway opened to vehicles on the same day.[11]
In July 2022, DPWH announced that CLLEX will be completed by July 2024. The current Phase 1 terminus in Aliaga will see an extension of seven kilometers up to San Juan Interchange and four kilometers to Umangan–Julo Road, before ending at Felipe Vergara Highway and the Pan–Philippine Highway.[12]
^As seen on some YouTube videos, restriction barriers were placed on every ramp of the expressway, preventing the entry of tall and wide vehicles. This could explain the reason why the expressway is currently toll-free and exclusively open to light vehicles.
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N308 from Tarlac to La Paz
E1 (Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway / Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway) in Tarlac City
AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) in San Jose
