“Whether the best solution is constructing an elevated road along the Pasig River is what the debate is all about”
It looks like the Pasig River Expressway project of San Miguel is back as a live project.
When San Miguel’s RSA bagged the P157 billion airport project some time ago, he announced that being sensitive to public calls he was abandoning PAREX.
The announcement to proceed was even timed almost at the same time when PBBM and the First Lady were inaugurating the second phase of the Pasig Promenade Project.
We do not know if this was intentional but it was ominous.
To make the project more attractive, a bike lane and a walkway are being incorporated into the new plan together with bus stations if I understood what was said correctly.
Even with all these, however, PAREX this time around will encounter serious obstacles.
There are now more government requirements like an Environmental Clearance Certificate plus all the LGUs where the PAREX passes must agree.
Another is the negative impact of PAREX on the Pasig Promenade Project of the First Couple.
The new alignment must also be such that the environment and other heritage areas will be preserved.
Of the three, the second is perhaps the most serious obstacle.
Would the TRB, for instance, dare green light the PAREX if it will negatively affect a beautification project the First Couple said they will give their fullest support to and want it finished in three years?
It would be interesting to see how DPWH or TRB will navigate this issue.
But will the PAREX negatively impact the Pasig River Promenade Project? The short answer is yes.
But it will depend on the final design of the Expressway which has not yet been made public.
It will also depend on how far the Pasig Promenade will go.
So, PAREX will certainly impact the Promenade Project and the environment as a whole. We just cannot say at this time.
Pasig River is not really all that wide.
Some areas have in fact been reclaimed due to development.
There are also several bridges like the Guadalupe Bridge in addition to the MRT Bridge passing above it.
But the proponents will almost certainly argue that in the end the benefits that will be derived from the project will outweigh the drawbacks. Whether the government will buy this argument is another matter.
The way I see it, however, is the opposing groups have a better chance of finally shelving the project permanently.
As marketed by the proponents, PAREX will absorb and divert a lot of the traffic from current East to West roads and vice versa, thereby providing an alternative route.
This is the same argument used in the construction of the Skyway project.
It was said upon completion of the Skyway, EDSA traffic will be decongested.
But as we can see this is not happening.
This could mean there may not be enough entry and exit ramps or the ramps were not placed where they are needed the most.
This could be the reason why motorists continue to use EDSA in spite of the traffic congestion.
Another reason could be that not enough traffic study was done which normally should have been undertaken hand and hand with the civil engineering plans before the construction.
We have to remember also that PAREX will be entirely different from the current East-West roads where many of the areas being traversed are destinations in themselves.
In PAREX, the Eastern end is basically residential areas while the Western end is somewhere in the mouth of the Pasig River.
There can be no stopping in between unless a vehicle exits the ramps because the road is elevated.
The number of ramps envisioned also seems to be insufficient.
And if vehicles cannot stop on PAREX unless on an emergency, why the need for a bus station and where will it be constructed?
PAREX has gotten more complicated.
Finally, that there’s a need for an East to West corridor is beyond question.
Whether the best solution is constructing an elevated road along the Pasig River is what the debate is all about.
And it is all due to aesthetics, heritage and environmental issues.
