MPT South to extend Cavitex with P23.2-billion investment

AFTER investing roughly P700 million to enhance the capacity and decongest the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex), Metro Pacific Tollways South Corp. (MPT South) plans to further extend the thoroughfare through a P23.2-billion investment to serve more motorists in the Southern Tagalog region.

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) President Luigi L. Bautista said his group plans to execute another portion of its concession agreement, which calls for the extension of the expressway to Rosario, and the linking of the thoroughfare to the future Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax).

“There are two segments we want to do: Segment 4, which will connect Cavitex to Calax; and Segment 5, which will extend Kawit to Rosario and has the potential to be extended to Tanza and Naic,” he said in an interview.

Currently, the company is finalizing the business proposal by the end of this month. It will be submitted to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) thereafter.

“Segment 5 is about P22 billion, which is only the portion that will extend up to Rosario. Segment 4 is about P1.2 billion,” he said.

This development comes as the company nears the completion of a P700-million investment on the enhancement of the Cavitex. It will come in two phases.

The first phase, which is about P400 million, entails the widening of the road from Miaa to Zapote, as well as the Southbound Flyover on the intersection of Pacific Avenue

The second phase, worth about P300 million, consists of the bridge widening at the Wawa, Las Piñas, area.

“These enhancement projects started late last year and were slated to finish by August 2018, but we will complete them within July 2018. On top of that, we are also adding 15 toll booths—three on the northbound direction, two on the southbound direction, and five portable booths on each on the north and south sides of the Paranaque toll plaza. This will effectively double our throughput capacity,” Bautista added.

Roughly 140,000 vehicles use the Cavitex daily.

CIC is a subsidiary of MPT South, one of the three tollways holding companies of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the largest expressway operator in the Philippines.

Cavitex proposes to extend road to Rosario for P22.5b

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., said it will submit this month a business proposal to the Toll Regulatory Board to extend the Mania-Cavite Expressway from Kawit to Rosario in Cavite province.

“We completed the feasibility study.  By about end of June, we will be submitting the business proposal [to TRB],” Cavitex president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

Bautista said his company would spend P22.5 billion to construct Segment 5 of Cavitex―a 7.6-kilometer road that will link Kawit to Noveleta to Rosario in Cavite province.

Cavitex earlier tapped FF Cruz Construction Inc. to build the first phase of the Cavitex C5 South Link, which would connect C5 and Merville, Parañaque by way of a flyover.

The second phase will link Merville and Cavite at a cost of P9.5 billion.

Cavitex C5 South Link will allow residents from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque to avoid Edsa and take a direct link to and from C5 to Cavitex.

Bautista said the new expressway, which was expected to be completed in 2019, would add 40,000 to 45,000 vehicle traffic per day, on top of the 130,000 vehicles currently using Cavitex.

C5 South Link will ultimately connect with R1 Expressway (Coastal Road) and provide fast, safe and convenient travel for motorists going to and from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite and for Paranaque residents in Multinational, Moonwalk and Merville villages.

The new expressway will not only decongest the Parañaque villages, but will also provide easier travel from Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City and other northern areas to Manila, Las Piñas and Cavite, the company said.

It will also provide relief for vehicles using the congested Edsa and C5 Road arteries of the metropolis.

Once completed, the expressway will provide a seamless connection to Cavitex road network and to Cavite-Laguna Expressway which is slated for completion by 2020.

The new C5 Link is envisioned to spur economic development in Parañaque, Cavite and Laguna by providing a safe and convenient link from the central and northern parts of Metro Manila to the high-growth industrial and residential centers in Southern Luzon.

Subic-Clark railway construction begins 2019

THE government’s plan to build a cargo train connecting Subic to Clark is targeted to start next year, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said.

“Magtatayo kami ng [We will build a] train from Subic to Clark. There will be a cargo train. Siguro mga next year maumpisahan na ’yun [By next year we’ll probably start it], Mr. Diokno told reporters after the inspection of the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) road-widening and southbound Marina flyover project.

He said the P50.03-billion railway is part of the government’s 75 flagship infrastructure projects. It will be funded through an official development assistance from the Chinese government.

Although the train system is originally intended for cargo to maximize the use of the Subic port, Mr. Diokno said it may eventually be used for passenger travel.

The Subic-Clark cargo train has been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) in January. In April, NEDA said it is one of the projects up for review by the Board.

In the “Build, Build, Build” website, which lists the details of the government’s infrastructure projects, it said the Subic-Clark railway is part of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Luzon System Development Framework. It is meant to form an “integrated logistics hub” in Central Luzon as it links the Subic Port to the Clark International Airport.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is in charge of the project. It also manages the Clark International Airport expansion, the New Clark City Mixed Use Industrial Real Estate developments, New Clark City-National Government administrative center, New Clark City-Food Processing Terminal and International Food Market and Broadband Backhaul Modular IT Facilities.

The Subic-Clark railway is scheduled for completion in October 2022. If successful, it seeks to reduce Metro Manila traffic by helping in the development of Region III as a “new growth center.”