METRO PACIFIC Tollways Corp. (MPTC) is preparing to submit to the government its plan to extend the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) to Bataan province by early 2018.

MPTC President and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco said the company is currently finalizing engineering studies for the NLEx Phase 3, a 37.76-kilometer expressway from Sto. Tomas, Pampanga to Dinalupihan, Bataan.

“Give us three months, we can submit that… We’re packaging the project,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the opening of the expanded NLEx San Fernando interchange on Tuesday.

NLEx Phase 3, estimated to cost more than P10 billion, is part of the concession agreement between the MPTC and the government to operate NLEx.

Mr. Franco said construction of the project is expected to begin in two years.

“They are new roads so give it two years with right-of-way (acquisition),” he said.

The tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. earlier said it is borrowing up to P50 billion to finance the construction of its projects in Metro Manila, Cavite and Cebu.

On Tuesday, MPTC opened the expanded San Fernando Interchange, which is expected to ease traffic within the vicinity of the SM and Robinsons malls. The two new bridges crossing NLEx were built to function as separate carriageways, and the interchange ramps were widened to four lanes.

Other enhancement projects include expansion of the Sta. Ines Interchange in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, and the construction of a new right-turning ramp in the direction of the Mabalacat-Magalang Road.

MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — P.P.C. Marcelo

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