MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the first phase of the P15.8 billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport expressway (NAIAX) would be completed during the scheduled Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in November.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said the first phase of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) toll road connecting NAIA-1 and 2 to Macapagal Boulevard would be completed in time for APEC.
The first phase of Phase 2A of NAIAX linking NAIA-1 and 2 to the Entertainment City of state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. was supposed to have been completed last April but was deferred to October in time for the APEC Leaders’ Summit on Nov. 18 and 19.
On the other hand, completion of phase 2B of NAIAX linking the Metro Manila Skyway, NAIA terminal 3, and the intersection of Domestic Road and MIA Road originally scheduled to be completed in October had been moved to March or April next year.
Vertex Tollways Development Inc. (VTDI) of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) cited the risks caused by the planned pedestrian overpass bridge of Resorts World Manila connecting to NAIA-3 on the PPP toll road.
VTDI said the pedestrian overpass on top of NAIAX that is now under construction would limit the chance of the concessionaire to expand the expressway.
VTDI said the scaffoldings and the continued construction of the overpass is an obstruction in the construction for the ramps and is also interfering with the implementation of the traffic management plan laid out for NAIAX.
For his part, Singson said the contractor for both projects – DM Consunji Inc., would have to resolve the issue to make sure the construction of the NAIAX would not be affected by the construction of the pedestrian overpass.
“The NAIA expressway is a priority over the walkway,” he added.
On top of the safety issues of the proposed pedestrian overpass bridge, other pending issued include the right-of-way issue near the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as well as the relocation of facilities of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) between LRTA and Electrical Road.
In Villamor Airbase, the source pointed out that the memorandum of agreement between the DPWH and the Department of National Defense has yet to be signed and the proposed conceptual redesign to facilitate completion has yet to secure DPWH’s go-signal.
NAIAX is a four-lane, 7.75 km elevated expressway and 2.2 km at-grade feeder road that would provide access to NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3. It would also connect to the Skyway system, the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex), and the Entertainment City.
VTDI bagged the 30-year build-transfer-operate concession for the construction and operation of the NAIA expressway after offering an upfront cash payment of P11 billion to the DPWH.
It earlier tapped Matière SAS of France and Filipino-owned Armando U. Khong Hun General Contractor’s Inc. to construct the Parañaque Riverside section of the toll road.
Source: Philstar
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