NLEX Harbor Link

NLEX Harbor Link (North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link), signed as E5 of the Philippine expressway network, is a four- to six-lane expressway that serves as a spur of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) linking it to the Port of Manila to the west and Quezon City to the east. It runs from Katipunan (a component of Circumferential Road 5) and C.P. Garcia Avenues in Quezon City to Radial Road 10 in Navotas, which in turn leads to the Port of Manila. Currently, its segment from Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela to Navotas is operational.

Route description
The NLEX Harbor Link Project is the extension of the North Luzon Expressway that runs currently from Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela at the east to Radial Road 10 in Navotas at the west, where an access to the Port of Manila is found. It aims to connect with Port of Manila, while improving cargo movement between NLEX and Radial Road 10. It is divided into four segments, namely: Segment 8.1 (Mindanao Avenue Link), 8.2 (C-5 Link / Citi Link), 9 (Karuhatan Link), and 10 (Harbor Link). It forms part of the expressway's open section. Both Segments 8.1 and 9, located in Valenzuela, are components of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) of Manila's arterial road network.

Mindanao Avenue to NLEX main
NLEX Segment 8.1 (Mindanao Avenue Link) is a four-lane, 2.7 km expressway that runs from the Harbor Link Interchange to Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela. Lying on the ground level east of the interchange, it begins at the intersection with Mindanao Avenue in Barangay Ugong and then approaches the Mindanao toll plazas, widening to 6 lanes serving only westbound traffics. It terminates at the Harbor Link Interchange with NLEX Main and continues to the west as Segment 9 (Karuhatan Link).

NLEX main to Karuhatan
NLEX Segment 9 (Karuhatan Link) is a four-lane, 2.42 km expressway that runs from Harbor Link Interchange to MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela. It is the first segment of the NLEX Harbor Link project. It begins at the Harbor Link Interchange with NLEX Main, picking-up from where Segment 8.1 (Mindanao Avenue Link) left off. Lying on the ground level west of the interchange, it then traverses Barangays Gen. T. De Leon, Parada, and Maysan, where two exits towards the first two barangays, respectively, are found. It then enters Barangay Karuhatan, where it approaches the Karuhatan toll plaza, widening to 6 lanes serving only eastbound vehicles, and Segment 10 (Harbor Link) and finally terminates at MacArthur Highway.

Karuhatan to Navotas
NLEX Segment 10 (Harbor Link), the second phase of the NLEX Harbor Link project, is a four-lane, 5.65 km fully elevated expressway which connects with the Karuhatan Link (Segment 9) in Valenzuela to C-3 Road in Caloocan, where two ramps carry it to the west for another 2.60 km up to Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas. It begins at Karuhatan Exit with Segment 9 (Karuhatan Link) and MacArthur Highway. The section near the northern terminus traverses an industrial and residential area, which necessitated the demolition of numerous houses, buildings, and warehouses. It soon follows the railway right-of-way where it rises up to as high as 19 m to provide necessary ground clearance for the viaduct carrying the future Manila–Clark Railway of the Philippine National Railways (PNR). It then crosses Tullahan River, where it enters Malabon. It then enters Caloocan, where past Samson Road and the PNR rolling stock shops in Caloocan, it shifts east of the railway's right of way (ROW), which also necessitated the demolition of a wet market. An exit to C-3 Road could then be found before meeting the Caloocan Interchange, where the expressway veers west as the C3–R10 spur alignment with connection to NLEX Connector that would lead southwards to Manila. The 2.60 km C3–R10 section runs above C-3 Road, where a westbound exit ramp towards Dagat-Dagatan Avenue could be found. It then crosses the Navotas River and enters Navotas, where it veers southeast towards R-10 and ends at the Navotas Interchange, which provides access to the Port of Manila via Mel Lopez Boulevard.

At the Navotas Interchange, the expressway has a possible future connection to the proposed NLEX–CAVITEX Port Expressway Link or Harbor Link Port Access Mobility Facility towards Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) or Anda Circle, respectively.

Proposal
According to differing versions of Frost Plan for Quezon City (the then-capital of the Philippines), an avenue was planned to connect the second National Government Center at Constitution Hill (now Batasan Hills) to both Balintawak and Manila North Road (now MacArthur Highway) in Valenzuela. In Quezon City, this road was named Republic Avenue or Avenue of the Republic. However, the avenue was partially realized and its right-of-way was eventually occupied by informal settlements. The proposal for the Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) came thereafter, with a proposed terminus by the Manila Bay in Navotas, based on a 1980 feasibility study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Another study was conducted by JICA in 1993, which included a plan for an urban expressway in Metro Manila. The planned routes were included in the study. The portion of Expressway Route C-3 would start at the interchange with Expressway Route R-9 along the intersection of Andres Bonifacio Avenue in Quezon City, and would continue to the first segment of Expressway Route R-10 in Navotas.

In the 1999 Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study (MMUTIS), JICA proposed building elevated expressways from Andres Bonifacio Avenue to Radial Road 10/Marcos Road (now Mel Lopez Boulevard) in Tondo, Manila, called the R-10/C-3 Expressway, and along Circumferential Road 5 that would have extended to Bulacan past Republic Avenue in Quezon City. In 2003, JICA conducted another study proposing the Metro Manila Urban Expressway System, which included routes along R-9, R-10, C-3, and C-5. However, none of these plans were implemented.

The proposal for the northern extension of C-5, conceptualized in the 1980 and 1999 JICA studies, aimed to connect Quezon City to Navotas. In 1998, Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) signed a STOA agreement with the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC, now NLEX Corporation), planning a tolled expressway from C.P. Garcia Avenue, veering into Republic Avenue in Quezon City, and reaching Valenzuela. The route, initially 22.4 km long, included segments of the Harbor Link and a cloverleaf interchange with North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). The planned terminus was to be located at Letre Road in Malabon. However, it was realigned to follow the Philippine National Railways' abandoned line and ends at C-3 Road in Caloocan.

Construction
Construction of NLEX Segment 8.1 (Mindanao Avenue Link), the first segment of the Harbor Link project, broke ground on April 2, 2009, with actual construction work beginning on April 21, 2009. Right-of-way for the road and interchange were then established upon their construction, with several houses were demolished. The first segment of the project was opened to traffic on June 5, 2010 by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Metro Pacific Investments chairman Manny Pangilinan. The spur road became part of the C-5 Road North Extension and is built to provide another entry point to the expressway from Metro Manila and decongest Balintawak Interchange.

In 2013–2014, the construction of NLEX Segments 9 (Karuhatan Link) and 10 (Harbor Link) broke ground. On March 18, 2015, NLEX Segment 9 was opened, providing continuation to Segment 8.1 that runs from the western side of the Harbor Link Interchange to MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela.

In 2017, the works on the additional segment leading to the Radial Road 10 began, while three ramps were planned as a provision.

On February 28, 2019, the main stretch of NLEX Segment 10 from MacArthur Highway to C-3 Road in Caloocan was inaugurated and opened to traffic. However, this section of NLEX Segment 10 was supposed to be operational in December 2016, but was delayed repeatedly due to right of way issues and delayed right of way acquisition. On February 21, 2020, its C-3–R-10 section was partially opened up to its Malabon (Dagat-Dagatan) exit ramp. On June 15, its remaining section up to Radial Road 10 was finally opened. This section was originally expected to open in March 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Segment 8.2 (NLEX–C-5 Link)
NLEX Segment 8.2, also named NLEX C-5 Link and NLEX Citi Link, will be an 11.5 km segment part of the NLEX Harbor Link Project that will connect the existing NLEX Segment 8.1 (Mindanao Avenue Link) to Katipunan Avenue, a part of C-5. It is divided into two sections: the 8.30 km Section 1 from Mindanao Avenue to Luzon Avenue and the 3.2 km Section 2 from Luzon Avenue to C.P. Garcia Avenue. The planned segment will at first run parallel to Republic Avenue before making a southward turn to Luzon Avenue after which it will then cross to Commonwealth Avenue and end at the intersection of C.P. Garcia and Katipunan Avenues. The segment will include five interchanges at Mindanao Avenue, Quirino Highway, Regalado Avenue, Congressional and Luzon Avenues, and Katipunan and C.P. Garcia Avenues, with three local road crossings at Sauyo Road, Chestnut Avenue, and Commonwealth Avenue.

The project implementation has been delayed for years due to right-of-way issues, as it will affect informal settlers in 8 barangays of Quezon City. Construction of the expressway segment's first phase, particularly the 2 km Section 1A between Mindanao Avenue and Quirino Highway, is set to commence in 2024.

Toll
NLEX Harbor Link is part of North Luzon Expressway's open section, as it is located in Metro Manila and south of NLEX Main's Bocaue Toll Plaza in Bocaue, Bulacan. The section employs the use of a barrier toll system, wherein vehicles are charged a flat toll based on its class. Entering vehicles from NLEX Main do not need another toll collection on NLEX Harbor Link as their toll fees have already been collected at Balintawak or one of the southbound toll plazas from Bocaue to Paso de Blas, whereas those from elsewhere from Caloocan Interchange northwards/eastwards are charged a toll fee at Mindanao or Karuhatan toll plazas; eastbound vehicles exiting at Karuhatan are charged a toll fee upon exit. Vehicles traversing the C-3–R-10 section to and from the NLEX Connector are charged a toll fee at the latter.

It accepts cash payments and adopts the electronic toll collection (ETC) system, which is operated by Easytrip Services Corporation. In accordance with law, all toll rates include a 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT).

The toll rates, implemented since June 4, 2024, are as follows :