Gov’t starts bid process for P35B Cavite-Laguna Expressway

The government is moving forward with the Cavite-Laguna Expressway project, a P35.42-billion toll road meant to decongest traffic and further boost development in the areas covered, as it invited interested groups to participate in the pre-qualification process and, eventually, the bidding for the project.

Based on an invitation posted by the Department of Public Works and Highways, interested groups were given up to Sept. 26 to submit their pre-qualification documents at the DPWH’s main office in Manila. The said documents will be available from July 26 to Sept. 20.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson said the submission of bids would be in December this year and the contract would likely be awarded to the winning bidder by January next year.

The project was approved by the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) board on Jan. 18 this year as a “hybrid” public private partnership (PPP) project, which means the government would have to construct a portion of the toll road to be financed with ODA (official development assistance) funds.

However, the DPWH decided to reformat the deal to “pure” PPP, which means the government’s share in the construction of the toll road was removed.

Because the PPP was restructured to its current form, the private sector will be responsible for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the entire 47-kilometer, four-lane project.

The winning bidder, based on the schedule posted on the DPWH website, will have to do the design of the expressway from March 2014 to March 2015. Construction, it showed, should start in March 2015 for completion by March 2018.

The toll road starts at the Manila-Cavite Expressway in Kawit, Cavite, and will end at the South Luzon Expressway Mamplasan interchange in Binan, Laguna.

The concession period will run for 35 years, the DPWH said.

Based on the original structure, a private group would operate the entire toll road but it would build only the 28.9-km stretch from Kawit to Aguinaldo Highway in Cavite. The government was to tap overseas development assistance funds to build the remaining 18.1-km stretch.

The DPWH noted that the project would not only increase the competitiveness of the region, known as Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal at Quezon), but also decongest the area and shorten travel time to Metro Manila. Calabarzon has been the site of factories of multinational companies engaged in electronics, automotive and semiconductor manufacturing businesses.

“This rapid growth and development in the area, however, has resulted in traffic congestion in major road networks in the area, particularly on the Aguinaldo Highway, Governor’s Drive and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road,” DPWH said in its notice.

The Cavite-Laguna Expressway will have nine interchanges upon completion: Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Blvd., Technopark and a Toll Barrier before the South Luzon Expressway.—Miguel R. Camus