A tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) hopes to get by next month the approval by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) board of its unsolicited proposal to build a 50.42-kilometer expressway in Cavite to Batangas.
If approved by February, the project will undergo Swiss challenge within the first half of the year.
Metro Pacific Tollways South obtained in June 2018 the original proponent status to build and operate the P22.4-billion Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway (CTBEX) project.
It got the first round of NEDA approval last December.
Roberto Bontia , president of Metro Pacific Tollways South and Cavite Infrastructure Corp. told reporters over the weekend the company is targeting to complete the detailed engineering design before the end of the year. Construction will start in 2021.
Once the NEDA board approves the project, the Department of Public Works and Highways will commence the 60-day Swiss challenge proceedings that will allow other companies to to challenge the CTBEX proposal.
The 50.42-km CTBEX is composed of three sections: the first section has an estimated project cost of P9 billion and will include Silang, Pook, Aguinaldo, Amadeo interchanges and a spur to Tagaytay, 17.06 kms; Section 2 has an estimated project cost of P6 billion and will include Mendez, Alfonso and Magallanes interchanges, 10.32 kms and; Section 3 has an estimated project cost of P7 billion and will include Tuy Spur and Nasugbu interchanges, 22.83 kms.
The project will reduce travel time to Tagaytay and Nasugbu from Manila and vice versa.
CTBEX will connect seamlessly with the Cavite-Laguna Expressway and Cavitex
of another MPIC unit Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.., decongesting approximately 23,000 vehicles daily from existing thoroughfares. With CTBEX, travel will be seamless via MPT South’s network of tollroads.
Travel time will be shortened in two major routes namely Governor’s Drive to Nasugbu, where the usual one hour and 42 minutes will be reduced to 44 minutes, equivalent to 56 percent time savings, and the Sta. Rosa to Tagaytay Route, where the usual travel of two hours will be reduced to 46 minutes, equivalent to 62 percent time savings.