MANILA, Feb. 4 — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) aims to immediately implement at least six solicited Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects that are now under or will undergo feasibility studies.
DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and PPP Maria Catalina Cabral said priority projects this year that are expected to decongest major highways in Luzon and Mindanao include the: Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 2; Quezon-Bicol Expressway; Batangas City – Bauan Toll Road Project; Davao-Digos Expressway; TPLEX Extension; and Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway.
“Our government is pushing for the realization of these major road projects that are necessary to ease traffic congestion within city roads,” said Undersecretary Cabral.
According to Usec. Cabral, the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 2 which will be 35.7-kilometer extension of the existing CLLEX Phase I from Cabanatuan City and San Jose City is now under procurement of Transaction Advisory (TA) Services and Feasibility Study (FS).
The feasibility study of the approximately 180 kilometers Quezon-Bicol Expressway which will start at Pagbilao, Quezon and will end at Maharlika Highway in San Fernando, Camarines Sur will be completed by third quarter of 2018.
DPWH is likewise preparing the Terms of Reference (TOR) and Estimated Budget for the contract (EBC) of three (3) other projects namely: Batangas City – Bauan Toll Road Project which is a 10-kilometer road from Batangas City to Bauan, Batangas traversing the municipality of San Pascual, Batangas; 60-kilometer Davao-Digos Expressway, which will start from Bukidnon-Davao National Highway in Davao City to Digos-Sultan Kudarat Road in Digos City ; and the 24.72-kilometer Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway that will start in Manila, pass through Makati, and terminate at Marcos Highway in the city of Marikina through the Pasig River.
The EBC of TPLEX Extension which is an approximately 54-kilometer toll road starting from the end of TPLEX Section 3B in Rosario, La Union to F. Ortega Highway at San Fernando, La Union is also being prepared by the DPWH while its TOR has been transmitted for approval.
Aside from the six projects, DPWH PPP Service is also supervising the implementation of 3 on-going projects namely: TPLEX which Pozorrubio to Rosario subsection is now 14 percent completed; Cavite-Laguna Expressway which construction has now reached 6 percent accomplishment on Laguna segment; and the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road which construction is aimed to start within first quarter of 2018. (DPWH)
