Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX)

The Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX), widely known as CLEX, holds the distinction of being the first toll-free expressway in the Philippines. Built and maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways rather than a private toll operator, the 30.7-kilometer, four-lane expressway runs east-west across the plains of Central Luzon, connecting Tarlac City in Tarlac with Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija. Its western terminus is a trumpet interchange with SCTEX and TPLEX just north of the Luisita area in Tarlac, while its eastern terminus ties into the Maharlika (Pan-Philippine) Highway in Cabanatuan. The first 18-kilometer section opened on July 15, 2021, and the final leg into Cabanatuan opened on March 31, 2026, completing Phase 1. By bypassing the congested MacArthur Highway and Cabanatuan-bound national roads, CLLEX cuts the Tarlac-to-Cabanatuan trip from roughly 70 minutes to about 20, opening a faster freight and commuter corridor for the Central Luzon agricultural belt. Because it is government-operated and toll-free, motorists pay nothing and need no RFID to drive the mainline — though those continuing onto the connecting SCTEX or TPLEX will still pass tolled barriers there. A planned Phase 2 would extend CLLEX eastward from Cabanatuan to San Jose, Nueva Ecija, with future links toward the North Luzon East Expressway.