The Smart Connect Interchange, also known as the Harbor Link Interchange and the Mindanao Avenue Interchange, is a two-level

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...

in Valenzuela,

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

which serves as the junction of

North Luzon Expressway The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), signed as E1 of the Philippine expressway network, partially as N160 of the Philippine highway network, and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a limited-access toll expressway that connects ...

(NLEx) between its main segment and its Harbor Link project, particularly Segments 8.1 and 9, components of

Circumferential Road 5 Circumferential Road 5 (C-5), informally known as the C-5 Road, is a network of roads and bridges that all together form the fifth beltway of Metro Manila in the Philippines. Spanning some , it connects the cities of Las Piñas, Makati, Parañaque, ...

(C-5). Built as part of the NLEX Segment 8.1 of the Harbor Link project extending the expressway to Mindanao Avenue, which has since been incorporated into the C-5 system, it is the Philippines' largest cloverleaf interchange in terms of land area.

History

Construction of NLEX Segment 8.1, including the Smart Connect Interchange, broke ground on April 2, 2009, with actual construction work beginning 19 days later. The entire segment was opened to traffic on June 5, 2010, with President

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...

and Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the Manila North Tollways Corporation, the concessionaire of the North Luzon Expressway, leading the inauguration along with Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo and high-ranking officials from Valenzuela. With some 30,000 vehicles estimated to use the new road daily during its first year of operation, since its opening it has helped to relieve traffic on the older Balintawak Interchange connecting

Epifanio de los Santos Avenue Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citi ...

(EDSA) to NLEX, which is three times smaller. Although the Smart Connect Interchange was opened to traffic in 2010, it originally only carried traffic between Valenzuela and eastern Metro Manila via NLEX Segment 8.1, with the westbound ramps closed to traffic. Work on a connection between the interchange and western Metro Manila would only be realized with the construction of the NLEx Segment 9 between the interchange and the

MacArthur Highway The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan. It is the second longe ...

in Karuhatan, which was opened on March 19, 2015. A further extension from Karuhatan to the

Port of Manila The Port of Manila ( fil, Pantalan ng Maynila) refers to the collective facilities and terminals that process maritime trade function in harbors in Metro Manila. Located in the Port Area and Tondo districts of Manila, Philippines facing the M ...

, known as NLEX Segment 10 or NLEX Harbor Link, was opened gradually from February 28, 2019 to June 15, 2020. On November 16, 2012,

Smart Communications Smart Communications Inc., commonly referred to as Smart (and officially stylized/ self-styled as SMART), is a wholly owned wireless communications and digital services subsidiary of PLDT Inc., a telecommunications and digital services provi ...

bought the naming rights to the interchange, giving it its current name.

References

{{Road infrastructure in Manila Road interchanges in the Philippines