P-Noy OKs construction of Metro skyway network

MANILA, Philippines - Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson disclosed yesterday that President Aquino has approved the construction of the Metro Manila Skyway Network to connect the South and North Luzon Expressways.

Singson said Metro Pacific and San Miguel Corp. would separately fund portions of the connecting highways.

“So far, the President has approved what we refer to as the Metro Manila Skyway Network. And we are talking of three-part Skyway network,” Singson said after the review of the Senate on his department’s performance for the past year.

Singson referred to the first project as the North Luzon-South Luzon connector, a project proposed by Metro Pacific or the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) group.

The second is the connector project from the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) going through San Juan and ending up in Araneta Avenue, Quezon City all the way to Balintawak. This is a project proposed by the San Miguel group.

The third project is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) expressway II, which connects South Superhighway in Nichols, and terminals 1, 2 and 3, all the way to Pagcor Entertainment City.

“So now you have a three-legged skyway network that will connect major destinations. Hopefully, this will really improve or decongest our major thoroughfares like EDSA, Taft Avenue, Buendia,” he said.

The Metro Manila Skyway network is a private-public partnership (PPP) project.

Sen. Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said he is pleased with the way Singson was handling the affairs of the department.

The DPWH will be getting an increased budget next year, pegged at P140.5 billion, an increase of about P41 billion from 2012’s budget of P99.5 billion.

He noted that the three-legged NCR skyway network is 112 kilometers long with a total cost of P75 billion to P80 billion. 

“This would hopefully decongest Metro Manila,” Drilon said.

Singson said the President has given the DPWH up to the end of 2015 to finish the projects.

“We are confident that segments of this skyway network will be operational by 2015. We are looking at how at least by mid-2016, the whole thing will be completed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DPWH yesterday invited local and international companies to join in the prequalification bid for the construction and operation of the NAIA Expressway Phase II project.

The winning bidder would finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the NAIA Expressway Phase II project.

The Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) set the deadline for the submission of qualification documents for interested parties, including bidding guidelines and project details for phase I adjustment works, phase II works, at-grade Entertainment City works, and operations and maintenance on Sept. 18.

NAIA Expressway Phase II Project is a 4-lane elevated expressway with a total length of 7.15 kilometers including ramps.

The project would start at the existing Skyway then generally follow the existing road alignments over Sales Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Domestic Road, and NAIA Road, and has entry/exit ramps at Roxas Boulevard, Macapagal Boulevard, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) City.

The project provides access to NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and links to existing expressways, namely the Skyway and the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway.

It will also link to the proposed elevated North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)-South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Connector Road and to the Metro Manila Skyway (Stage 3) extension to Araneta Avenue (C-3).

When completed, it is expected that the average 24-minute travel from Skyway to NAIA Terminal 1 would be shortened to 8 minutes to provide greater comfort to some 80,000 daily travelers.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved the project last May 30.

With the government financing the road right-of-way acquisition in the amount of P1.021 billion, Pagcor license holders are willing to provide P6.5-billion contribution for the construction of the project. – With Evelyn Macairan