NLEX Harbor Link (Harbor Link)

The NLEX Harbor Link serves as a vital alternative logistics corridor connecting NLEX's northern reaches to Manila's port facilities via R-10 (Radial Road 10). Opened in 2022, this 5.58-kilometer expressway complements the NLEX Connector by providing a second grade-separated route from NLEX to the Port of Manila, effectively providing redundancy and load-balancing for the critical port access function. Harbor Link branches off from NLEX at the Karuhatan/Valenzuela area, proceeding southwest through northern Metro Manila's industrial zones before connecting to R-10, which leads directly to Manila North Harbor. The expressway was designed primarily with cargo logistics in mind, featuring heavy-duty pavement suitable for fully-loaded container trucks and multiple connections to industrial areas in Valenzuela and Malabon. Beyond cargo, Harbor Link serves residential and commercial traffic to the densely populated northern Manila Bay communities of Malabon and Navotas, including access to Dagat-Dagatan (Malabon's wholesale fish port, one of the country's largest). The expressway's four-lane configuration includes truck-friendly features like gentler grades and strategic placement of weigh stations. Harbor Link's opening significantly reduced the burden on surface streets like MacArthur Highway and Rizal Avenue Extension, which were chronically congested with container trucks headed to port. Together with the NLEX Connector, Harbor Link forms a dual-corridor system ensuring reliable port access even during traffic incidents or maintenance closures on one route. The expressway operates 24/7 matching Manila North Harbor's round-the-clock container operations and uses MPTC's Easytrip RFID system for efficient toll collection of the high-volume truck traffic.