The NLEX Harbor Link Project is an extension of the North Luzon Expressway running from Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela at the east to Radial Road 10 in Navotas at the west, allowing access to the Port of Manila.

It aims to connect with the Port of Manila while improving cargo movement between NLEX and Radial Road 10.

The section near the northern terminus traverses an industrial and residential area, which necessitated the demolition of numerous houses, buildings, and warehouses.

An exit to C-3 Road could then be found before meeting the Caloocan Interchange, where the expressway veers west as the C3–R10 spur alignment with a connection to NLEX Connector that would lead southwards to Manila.

According to differing versions of Frost Plan for Quezon City (the then-capital of the Philippines), an avenue was planned to connect the second National Government Center at Constitution Hill (now Batasan Hills) to both Balintawak and Manila North Road (now MacArthur Highway) in Valenzuela.

[13] In 2003, JICA conducted another study proposing the Metro Manila Urban Expressway System, which included routes along R-9, R-10, C-3, and C-5.

The proposal for the northern extension of C-5 conceptualized in the 1980 and 1999 JICA studies[15][16] aimed to connect Quezon City to Navotas.

The route, initially 22.4 kilometers (13.9 mi) long,[17][18] included segments of the Harbor Link and a cloverleaf interchange with the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

The first segment of the project was opened to traffic on June 5, 2010, by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Metro Pacific Investments chairman Manny Pangilinan.

In 2017, the works on the additional segment leading to Radial Road 10 began, while three ramps were planned as a provision.

[26] On February 28, 2019, the main stretch of NLEX Segment 10 from MacArthur Highway to C-3 Road in Caloocan was inaugurated and opened to traffic.

[35][36] The project implementation has been delayed for years due to right of way issues,[2][37] as it will affect informal settlers in eight barangays in Quezon City.

[38] Construction of the expressway segment's first phase, particularly the 2-kilometer (1.2 mi) Section 1A between Mindanao Avenue and Quirino Highway, is set to commence in February 2025, after being awarded their contract to China Road and Bridge Corporation.

It accepts cash payments and adopts the electronic toll collection (ETC) system, which is operated by Easytrip Services Corporation.