Saturday, March 15, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
The government will open the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) this Holy Week, Malacañang announced on Friday.
“SCTEX will open this holiday season based on what I heard between the meeting of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan. But I don’t have much details just yet,” Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.
“This road is a very important infrastructure because it will give impetus to development. We believe that it will lead to more investment entering our country,” he added.
The Palace also announced that toll fees would be waived in time for the Holy Week at the new highway.
The SCTEX was earlier scheduled for opening on January but the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) later moved its opening to the end of April.
SCTEX has 34 bridges, four of them “major” spans - measuring 300 meters or more - which are now undergoing final inspection.
It has eight interchanges — the Tipo Junction, Dinalupihan Interchange, Clark Logistics Interchange, Spur/North Luzon Expressway Interchange, Clark North Interchange, Conception Interchange, and San Miguel Interchange - while three others are being eyed for construction. 
-- Angelo S. Samonte
