METRO PACIFIC Tollways Corp. (MPTC) is targeting to submit a proposal to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) within the year to build a spur road extending the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) to the Danilo Atienza (Sangley) Air Base.
MPTC President Rodrigo E. Franco told reporters last week the company is reviving its feasibility study for Segment 5 of CAVITEx to include an eight- to nine-kilometer extension going to Sangley Point, Cavite.
“We are looking into that, pero marami pang kailangan [but there are plenty of things to do]… We hope this year meron na [there will be a] proposal that we submit,” he said.
Mr. Franco noted the company still needs to talk to the Philippine Reclamation Authority, its partner in operating CAVITEx, before making a formal submission to the TRB.
He added the initial estimate on the cost of the project is “at least over P10 billion.”
MPTC’s interest in building an extension to Sangley was strengthened by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) efforts to open the Cavite gateway for general aviation flights before the end of the year.
There is also an effort from the provincial government of Cavite to build a $10-billion Sangley airport, which is eyed to be undertaken as a local public-private partnership (PPP) project. If it succeeds, this would open the location to more flights including commercial ones.
Part of MPTC’s concession agreement in operating CAVITEx is the construction of a new segment that will extend the expressway from Kawit to Rosario.
Mr. Franco said this segment, or Segment 5, will be “very close” to Sangley, so the company expects that the planned spur road may be covered by the concession agreement.
CAVITEx is a 14-kilometer expressway linking the tail of Roxas Boulevard to Cavite through exit points in Bacoor City and Kawit.
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez
