[2] The untolled section from Tarlac City to La Paz is designated as National Route 308 (N308) of the Philippine highway network.

It makes a reverse curve, turning southeast before crossing Guimba–Aliaga Road as it enters Aliaga, then San Juan, where the exit is built as the expressway's current terminus.

The DPWH, under JICA's assistance, completed the feasibility study for the proposed Central Luzon Expressway (CLEX) the same year.

[6] The project was renamed to Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) in 2011 after the preparatory survey and final report plan for Phase 1 was concluded.

The construction of the CLLEX Phase 1 project was funded through the Official Development Assistance (Japan) grant of ¥22,796,000,000 (₱11.87 billion, March 2012 exchange rate) at a signing agreement ceremony by the Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe.

[8] In President Benigno Aquino III's State of the Nation address in 2014, the CLLEX was mentioned as one of the administration's priority projects involving massive infrastructure spending in Central Luzon.