Metro Pacific Looking for Partners for Multiple Road Projects

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. is looking for strategic partners for a 13-kilometer elevated road project that will link the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

Company president Ramoncito Fernandez said:
"We're open to discussing [the connector road] with any potential partners. [It will be a consortium] but we don't know yet the structure. We are in the process of finding a financial adviser."

Fernandez added that Metro Pacific Tollways and state-owned Philippine National Railways have completed a pre-feasibility study on the P16-billion project, which will span from Road C3 in Caloocan City to Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. Around 80% of the connector road will be built over existing rail tracks and will shorten travel time from NLEX to SLEX to only 15 to 20 minutes.

Metro Pacific Tollways is also eyeing to undertake Segments 9 and 10 or phase 2 of the NLEX:

• Segment 9 is a 4-lane, 3-km expressway linking NLEX to MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City
• Segment 10 will extend NLEX to Port Area via a 4-lane, 5-km elevated road from MacArthur Highway.

Current projects include

• Segment 8.1, a 6-lane expressway from Mindanao Avenue to the NLEX, and
• Skyway Stage 2, a P10-billion 7-km elevated expressway connecting Bicutan to Alabang.

Source: ABS-CBN News
August 19, 2009