The Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) is open to the possibility of reviewing government contracts on major road and expressway projects sealed during the previous administrations.
But Mark Villar, DPWH secretary, said the agency has not found any oneous deals involving road projects.
“If we find something onerous, we will investigate,” Villar told reporters in a sideline interview at the recent ocular inspection of C3-R10 section of NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10.
Among the big-ticket infrastructure projects awarded by previous administrations include NAIA Expresseway, to San Miguel Corp.; Cavite-Laguna Expressway to Metro Pacific Investment Corp. and Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway to Ayala Corp.
President Duterte recently ordered the review of the concessions awarded to Ayala’s Manila Water Co. and MPIC’s Maynilad Water Services, as well as the contract for the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT1) which owned and operated by both Ayala and MPIC.
Other projects under review are the lease agreements with Chevron Philippines on a property in San Pascual, Batangas and with Ayala Land Inc. on UP-Ayala Technohub.
Meanwhile, Villar announced on Friday the C3-R10 section of NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the elevated expressway that will provide direct access between R10 in Navotas City and NLEX, is slated for partial opening by February.
“The project is now 75 percent complete. We are on track to open the C3 to Dagat-Dagatan avenue by February and the entire C3-R10 Section by March to help decongest major roads such as EDSA and C5. With the full completion of the project, we expect to reduce travel time from Port Area to NLEX to just 10 minutes,” said Villar.
Featured as one of the legacy projects of the Duterte administration, the 2.6-kilometer
C3-R10 Section from Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road, Caloocan City to Radial road 10, Navotas City will connect to the 5.65-kilometer
NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 that passes through Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual avenue in Malabon City, and 5th avenue/C3 road, Caloocan City.
Apart from alleviating the daily traffic woes of motorists and commuters, the project will significantly benefit the transport logistics industry as cargo trucks will have 24/7 access from the port to NLEX, sparing them from truck ban and congested local roads. It is also envisioned to boost trade performance and lead to on-time delivery of goods to different inland destinations in Central and North Luzon.
