NLEX starts work on toll road link by Q1 of 2019

NLEX Corp. said it expects to start construction of the P23-billion expressway linking North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway by the first quarter of 2019.

“We want to be able to mobilize construction by fourth quarter and full blast by first quarter of next year,” NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways expects to deliver the right-of-way by May next year for the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road Project.

NLEX secured the notice of award from Public Works on Sept. 19, 2016, but the construction of the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road was affected by the delay in the delivery of right-of-way.

The project is an unsolicited proposal approved by the National Economic and Development Authority under the build-operate-transfer scheme for the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of an 8-kilometer elevated toll expressway over the right-of-way of Philippine National Railways.

The project starts at the junction of NLEx Segment 10 at C-3 Road/5th Ave. in Caloocan City and will connect to South Luzon Expressway though Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project in Manila.

Upon completion in 2021, the elevated expressway will provide motorists another alternative to the heavily congested Edsa.

The project is also expected to reduce travel time between NLEx and SLEx from two hours to only 20 minutes.

NLEX budgeted P19 billion this year for the construction of the NLEx-SLEx Project and the Harbor Link Segment 10, including the R10 Section in Dagat-Dagatan, Navotas City.

Expected to be opened this year, Harbor Link Segment 10 is a 5.7-km elevated expressway traversing NLEx from Smart Connect Interchange and cross over Mac Arthur Highway in Valenzuela City with down ramps along C3/5th Ave. Interchange in Caloocan City.

Once Harbor Link is fully completed, travel between the Port of Manila and NLEx will take just 10 minutes and provide direct expressway access to commercial vehicles, especially heavy trucks.

Around 40,000 vehicles traversing the Port of Manila and NLEx daily are expected to benefit from Harbor Link.

Preliminary work on NLEx-SLEx connector road to start by Q4

PRELIMINARY construction work for the connector road that will link the Metro Pacific group’s North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and San Miguel Corp.’s South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) is expected to start by the fourth quarter of this year, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) said.

MPTC President and Chief Executive Officer Rodrigo E. Franco told reporters last week that work on the NLEx-SLEx connector road is expected to commence within the fourth quarter, and to go full blast by the first quarter of 2019.

“We’re working within the timetable, and we would want to be able to mobilize construction towards the fourth quarter,” he said on the sidelines of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEx) piling ceremony in Cebu on Thursday.

Mr. Franco also said acquisition of the right of way for the first section of the alignment is moving, but the deadline for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is still second quarter next year.

The NLEx-SLEx connector road is an eight-kilometer road to be built above the tracks of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) from C3 Road in Caloocan City to Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

The elevated road is set to be completed by 2021, by then it is expected to cut travel time from NLEx to SLEx from two hours to 20 minutes, and from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna from three hours to one hour and 40 minutes.

NLEX Corp. is expecting a traffic of at least 35,000 vehicles every day when operations of the connector road begin.

Last week, NLEX Corp. announced it will tap the bond market by the fourth quarter to secure funds for the connector road.

Mr. Franco said its construction would cost them P16 billion, and P22 billion including the right of way.

He also said 70% of the costs, or around P11 billion to P12 billion, will be collected from banks or bonds. The rest would be coming from equity.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC). MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez

Groundwork for NLEX-SLEX connector road starts in Q4

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) unit NLEX Corp. plans to start mobilizing for the construction of the North Luzon Expressway - South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) connector road project by the fourth quarter this year and begin actual works by the first quarter of next year.

NLEX Corp. president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco said the firm intends to “mobilize by fourth quarter [this year] then, full blast first quarter.”

He said the Department of Public Works and Highways is working on the acquisition and delivery of right-of-way for the construction of the project.

“It’s moving. Their deadline is second quarter next year for the first section. So, we’re working within the timetable,” he said.

The NLEX-SLEX connector road project with a cost of P23.3 billion, is an eight-kilometer, all elevated four-lane toll expressway which would extend the NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3 Road Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila and connect to the Skyway Stage 3, mostly traversing the Philippine National Railways’ track.

It will include two interchanges located at C3 Road in Caloocan and España in Manila.

Among the aim of the project is to help decongest Metro Manila traffic, as well as help stimulate development in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and surrounding areas.

The project also seeks to provide trucks with an alternative route.

Once completed, the project is expected to benefit at least 35,000 motorists per day.

It is expected to cut travel time from SLEX to NLEX to 20 minutes from two hours, as well as from Clark to Calamba to one hour and 40 minutes from approximately three hours.

Apart from the NLEX-SLEX connector road project, MPIC is building other tollways such as the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, NLEX-Harbor Link Segment 10, C-5 South Link and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

MPIC currently operates the following tollways: NLEX, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway.

In addition to tollways, MPIC is into other businesses such as water, power, hospitals, railways and logistics.


Read more at https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/07/10/1832039/groundwork-nlex-slex-connector-road-starts-q4#L07SYpHEMGVr5kqa.99