The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it expects to complete ongoing segments and repaired sections of the Metro Cebu Expressway in Naga City within five to six months following an eight-year delay.
The timeline follows a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to accelerate government infrastructure projects to ensure immediate public benefit.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the project, which began in 2018, has remained unfinished due to slow implementation.
Dizon ordered additional equipment and personnel to the site to ensure the revised deadline is met.
The department also expressed readiness to assist the Cebu provincial government in expediting the implementation of the expressway’s larger sections.
Once finished, the highway will serve as a north-south backbone traversing the mountain slopes of Cebu Province to bypass the urban core and central business districts.
The project is designed as a high-capacity upland bypass linking northern, southern, central and coastal districts. Officials expect the enhanced transport network to stimulate economic and tourism growth while meeting rising transport demands in the region.
Travel time between Naga City and the Consolacion boundary is expected to drop from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes.
The commute from Naga City to Danao City will be reduced from three hours to 50 minutes.
While the total project cost involves billions of pesos, the department is focusing on immediate completion of the Naga City segments to provide relief to motorists.
Future phases of the expressway may involve public-private partnerships to manage the remaining P80 billion estimated total investment required for the full 73-kilometer stretch.
