San Miguel Corp. on Monday said it has shelved its proposed Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project amid issues raised by some environmental and conservation advocates.
“I proposed a Pasig River expressway… But many people say they don’t want that because it’s against their will or it’s not good to look at or whatever,” Ramon S. Ang, president and chief executive said.
“We listen to the pulse of the people. We are very sensitive to the opinion of the public. If the public thinks that it is not good for the public welfare, we will not do that,” he added.
The P81.53 billion PAREX is a 19.37 kms. six-lane, all-elevated expressway which will traverse the Pasig River from Radial Road 10 in the City of Manila to its termination at a connection with the proposed South East Metro Manila Expressway at Circumferential Road 6.
The project will connect and utilize a 2.7-km. portion of Skyway Stage 3 from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.
The company earlier said it invested P2 billion to clean up the Pasig River and integrate a bus rapid transit system, bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways in the project.
San Miguel earlier signed a P72-billion deal with Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. in August last year to construct two expressways south of Metro Manila.
Under the memorandum of agreement, MPTC and SMC will jointly undertake the construction, operation and maintenance of the 87.96-kilometer Cavite-Batangas Expressway and Nasugbu-Bauan Expressway.
The MPTC Group has 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 8.5-km. Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway in Cebu.
SMC’s expressways includes the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System and the NAIA Expressway (NAIAX).