The Marilao Interchange incident along the North Luzon Expressway was completely avoidable. You see, the Marilao Interchange Bridge is one of the lowest (if not the lowest) along the busy thoroughfare, having a vertical clearance of 4.27m, based on a report by ABS-CBN News.

That is why it is unfortunate that a truck with a height of 4.9m was able to pass the entry points of NLEX, which eventually hit the girders of the northbound side of the bridge. Worse, another truck was reported to have hit the loose girders shortly after the first incident.

This caused the girders to loosen, necessitating the closure of the two middle, northbound lanes of the expressway. Initial assessment revealed that it would take two weeks for the toll operator to complete the repairs needed—hence, the two lanes will remain closed during that period.

This has caused insane gridlocks along NLEX, even extending to other roads in Metro Manila such as EDSA, A.Bonifacio, and other roads leading to the tollway. That is why Department of Transportation secretary Vince Dizon deems it fair that NLEX Corporation suspend toll collections in the affected areas, on top of the initiatives the toll road operator has already put in place.

In a post on DOTr’s Facebook account, Dizon said it is only right for the NLEX management to implement his demands, as it adds to the inconvenience of motorists using the expressway if they will still be charged for the toll fees while being stuck for hours on that segment of NLEX.

Meanwhile, NLEX has expressed that it is “fully committed to minimizing inconvenience to motorists and ensuring the swift restoration of normal traffic flow along the section of NLEX affected by the Marilao incident.” According to the toll operator, immediate measures have been taken to alleviate congestion in the area. Other than suing the drivers and the owners of the trucks for reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property, other initiatives are already in place.

NLEX Corporation has opened additional lanes and will open zipper counterflow lanes whenever possible to help speed up traffic flow in the affected areas. It also promised, barring any unforeseen circumstances, that the repair of the bridge will be finished by the end of the month.

The Toll Regulatory Board, meanwhile, is asking NLEX why it shouldn’t be levied with penalties for allowing the trucks to enter the toll plazas, given their excessive height, causing damage to the bridge. The Land Transportation Office, on the other hand, has already issued show cause orders to the driver and the trucking company.

So, while the pertinent government agencies are studying their options as to what to do about the incident, we motorists are left with no choice but to extend our patience and plan our trips well.

But the bigger question is this: Why were the trucks allowed to enter the expressway, and can’t the toll operator come up with simple, affordable, but effective solutions to keep incidents like this from happening again?