MPIC unit bags connector road project

Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. finally bagged an elevated “connector road” expressway project that will link the northern and southern portions of Metro Manila following delays that spanned an entire administration, a government official said.

The award paves the way for the construction of the 8-kilometer tollroad, which will cut congestion in traffic-strangled Metro Manila, with completion estimated by 2021.

Metro Pacific unit Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. was poised to win the award in the “next few days” after no rival offer was made by the deadline Monday for comparative proposals under the Swiss Challenge rules, Eugenio Pipo Jr., assistant secretary at the Department of Public Works and Highways, told reporters Monday.

The award will still require the final approval of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

The connector tollroad was first offered by Metro Pacific as an unsolicited proposal during the tailend of the Arroyo administration. It was delayed further by various disagreements between the DPWH and the then Department of Transportation and Communications on the appropriate project structure while it underwent review by the Aquino administration.

The project is being handled by Metro Pacific Tollways. Company CEO Rodrigo Franco said they hoped to start the project in 2018. He said the project would cost about P15.74 billion to build, with right of way (to be shouldered by the government) to cost about P7.46 billion.

San Miguel Corp.’s own Metro Manila connector road project called Skyway Stage 3 has already started construction and will be finished by 2017.