THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center) said Monday that they are gauging investor interest in three proposed big-ticket expressway projects — the Pacific Eastern Seaboard Expressway, the Metro Cebu Expressway, and the Davao-Digos Expressway.

In a statement, the DPWH said it partnered with the PPP Center to sound out the market virtually with contractors, financing institutions, and potential investors.

The department said the exercise will help the government “ascertain the level of interest of the private sector” in undertaking the three projects.

“We want to gather initial feedback from potential project sponsors, contractors/operators and financiers especially during this pandemic situation who are willing to help the government in making these high-impact projects a reality. These roads are vital in facilitating economic improvement not just in Luzon, but also in Visayas, and Mindanao,” Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said in the statement.

The Pacific Eastern Seaboard Expressway project, according to the PPP Center website, involves the construction of a 226.5-kilometer expressway, which will start from Atimonan, Quezon, “traversing and linking the Mauban Section and the Real Section of the Mauban-Tignoan Road, Famy-Real-Infanta Dinahican Port Road, Infanta, Quezon,” terminating in Dingalan, Aurora.

The 73.75-kilometer Metro Cebu Expressway project, according to the DPWH website, “will serve as another north-south backbone highway providing seamless traffic flow from Naga City (Cebu) up to Danao City,” traversing Cebu island’s central mountains.

The 60-kilometer Davao-Digos Expressway, the DPWH said, “will start at the Bukidnon-Davao National Highway in Davao City and will terminate at Digos-Sultan Kudarat Road.”

“The project will traverse the towns of Toril and Santa Cruz and will serve as an alternative route for the Davao-Cotabato National Highway,” it added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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