Toll road project attracts bidders

Big local and foreign companies have expressed their interest to participate in a Swiss or competitive challenge for an 8-kilometer “connector” tollroad that will ease congestion in traffic-strangled Metro Manila.

Andre Palacios, executive director of the Public Private Partnership Center, said seven groups had bought bid documents.

These are San Miguel Corp., Spain’s Obrascón Huarte Lain, S.A., Hunan Road and Bridge Corp. apart from four law companies representing undisclosed clients.

If the companies participate, they will challenge Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which proposed the connector road that will link its North Luzon Expressway and the South Luzon Expressway of SMC.

The Department of Public Works and Highways, which is implementing the project, said submission of comparative proposals was moved to July 25, 2016.

The project was first offered as an unsolicited proposal during the Arroyo administration but was later subject to a review by President Aquino.

Under the Swiss challenge rules, other companies will be given the opportunity to submit comparative proposals to undertake the construction and operations of the connector road.

Metro Pacific has the right to match rival offers to win the tollroad deal, which has a 37-year concession period.

The DPWH earlier indicated that an award would happen by the third quarter of 2016. Estimates placed the start of construction at 2017 with completion seen by 2020.

The project will be done through a single-stage qualification and bidding procedure.

The bid evaluation will center on the “highest offered concession fee as an additional consideration for the right to use the right of way requirements of the connector project,” the DPWH had said.

About 35,000 vehicles per day are expected to use the connector tollroad, which begins at the C3 Road in Caloocan City and end at PUP Sta. Mesa. It will have an opening toll fee of P87.

Metro Pacific’s connector proposal road is one of two elevated tollroads seeking to link the northern and southern portions of Metro Manila.