Citra-San Miguel to construct Makati-Manila areas in NLEx-SLEx road links
MANILA, Philippines - The business partners San Miguel Corp. and Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. -- and not Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) -- will construct the 3-kilometer road the two groups will share to link two key highways south and north of Metro Manila.
“It will be us,” San Miguel president Ramon S. Ang said on Monday, July 23, when asked which group will undertake the construction of the common road.
The common road -- starting from Buendia in Makati City up to Plaza Dilao in Manila city -- will be part of the two different roads respectively proposed by San Miguel-Citra and MPIC that will link North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx).
Earlier, MPIC chair Manuel Pangilinan said that the final choice on which group will both construct and fund the common road remains unanswered. “That is still being discussed,” he had said.
TWO ROADS. Metro Pacific and San Miguel-Citra propose to build separate roads connecting NLEx and SLEx. MPIC's proposal is the pink line, while San Miguel-Citra's is the shorter, dark blue line. Illustration from the SMC-Citra group
In his 3rd State of the Nation Address on July 23, President Aquino had touted that both road projects will benefit passengers since the distance between NLEx and SLEx will be reduced to only a 1.5-hour travel.
President Aquino had earlier met with both groups to get them to agree on exploring options to implement both projects -- instead of simply choosing just one -- especially on the shared 3-km road areas.
According to the Toll Regulatory Board, both groups have agreed to comply.
Different claims
MPIC's proposal is a 13.2-kilometer overhead road with 4 lanes and 3 exits that connects to NLEx through Harbor Link. The MPIC group holds the concession for NLEx.
San Miguel-Citra's proposal, on the other hand, is a 6-lane 14.2 kilometer connector road. Citra had asserted that the connector road is an extension of the existing Skyway road, an overhead road approved by government in 1995 that runs mostly through the SLEx route.
The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) gave its nod on Citra's claim.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had appealed TRB's move but the Justice Department had ruled that the TRB has the sole authority over the connector road project.
Last June, the Department of Justice upheld with finality its March 2012 opinion. This effectively, denied an appeal sought by the DPWH. - Rappler.com
