A unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. said the planned P25.24-billion Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway remains “alive” despite an adjacent project proposed by San Miguel Corp.
“We are still discussing with the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], so we can submit our proposal to NEDA [National Economic and Development Authority] for their comments. There is still ongoing discussion. It is still alive. We have not given up,” Metro Pacific Tollways South president and general manager Raul Ignacio said.
“We believe that while there is a statement coming from the Secretary [of DPWH] that the projects can co-exist, we are still in talks with the government, DPWH,” he said.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan earlier said the CTBEX project would “push through,” and “I don’t think there will be conflict in alignment” with the Cavite Batangas Expressway proposed by San Miguel Holdings Inc.
“The two projects will push through, but we will have to iron out some pending issues, so that both of them can start,” Bonoan said, referring to CTBEX and CBEX.
The DPWH granted the original proponent status to MPTC for the construction of CTBEX in 2018. CTBEX is a 50.43-kilometer expressway that will connect Cavite and Batangas, with a spur road to Tagaytay City and ultimately terminating in Nasugbu and another spur road to Tuy, Batangas.
CTBEX, which is expected to decongest about 23,000 vehicles daily from the nearby thoroughfares, will start at Silang East Interchange of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway which is now open to the motoring public. The alignment will traverse the towns of Silang, Amadeo, Mendez, Alfonso and Tagaytay in Cavite and Nasugbu in Batangas.
The MPTC Group has a total of 240.6 kilometers of existing expressways and 43.1 kilometers under construction, with a total investment of $3.06 billion.
It operates 105 kilometers of North Luzon Expressway, 94 km. of Subic Clark-Tarlac Expressway and 14 km. of Manila-Cavite Expressway. It also operates the 8.5-km. Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway in Cebu.
MPTC is also building the 45-km. Cavite Laguna Expressway Project that is expected to be completed by 2024. Its operational segments stretches from Mamplasan in Binan, with interchanges at Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road up to Silang East Interchange.
The C5 Link—a 7.7-kilometer 2×3 lane expressway that will connect CAVITEX R1 to C5 Road in Taguig—is also under construction.
MPTC is also constructing 8 kilometers of NLEX Connector Road and 2.60 km. of NLEX Segment 10 R10.
It has pending unsolicited proposals to the DPWH to build the P92-billion 15.1-km NLEX-Cavitex Port Expressway Project and the P71.9-billion 19.4-km. C5 Expressway Project.