San Miguel gets gov’t OK for P95-B Pasig River Expressway project

San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) P95-billion Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) has secured the thumbs up from the government, more than a year since the company proposed the elevated toll road project.

On Tuesday, SMC president Ramon Ang, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Alvin Carullo signed the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) for the PAREX, which signified the approval of the project.

The PAREX is seen to be a 19.37-kilometer, six-lane elevated road, that will run along the banks of the Pasig River, starting from Radial Road 10 in Manila to C-6 Road, also known as the future South East Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) in Taguig City, SMC said in a statement.

The company said the project will have three major segments, namely Segment 1 from R-10 to Plaza Azul, Manila; Segment 2 from Pandacan to C-5, and Segment 3 from C-5 to C6.

PAREX will also connect to and utilize a 2.7-kilometer portion of the new Skyway Stage 3 from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.

With the opening of the Skyway 3 earlier this year, SMC said the Skyway system now serves as the seamless link between north and south Metro Manila.

Once operational, PAREX will serve as the east-west connection, linking up with Skyway 3 and SEMME making virtually every major city in Metro Manila accessible via expressway, according to SMC.

The company said it will fully shoulder the P95-billion cost to build PAREX, with no taxpayer or government money used.

For his part, Ang said PAREX will finally complete the long-envisioned north-south-east-west expressway connectivity for the region.

He said that the proposed toll road along Pasig River will be the first privately-funded road network in the country that combines sustainability features with the functionality of a safe and efficient transport infrastructure that the country is sorely lacking in.

“This will be an inclusive, user-centered infrastructure that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars. It will have dedicated bike lanes, walkways, a bus rapid transit system, among others,” Ang said.

The SMC chief said that with the company’s P2-billion Pasig River rehabilitation initiative, it is looking to expand water transport through ferry boats that will link people to cities along the waterfronts of Metro Manila – including Laguna Lake, Pasig River, Manila Bay, Marikina River, among others.

SMC is tapping architect, environment planner, and green urbanism advocate Felino Palafox Jr. to help in building the PAREX project.

“Together with Palafox and Associates, we will build what will be the country’s first sustainable infrastructure, one that will not just be ‘green’, but will have multiple uses and direct environmental, social, and economic benefits to Filipinos,” Ang said.

“PAREX will also be for pedestrians and cyclists. It will not just be for motorized transportation and convenience, but also for maintaining our health and well-being. It will not just ‘beautify’ the surroundings--it will rehabilitate the Pasig River and inspire urban renewal in Metro Manila,” he added.

Ang noted that with or without the PAREX project, SMC will still undertake the Pasig River cleanup as it aligns with the company’s sustainability goals.

“In the past, we have spent P1 billion, P2 billion on worthwhile projects that helped thousands of people. But cleaning up our rivers will benefit millions of Filipinos, who will, hopefully, no longer be as affected by flooding,” Ang said.

Currently, SMC is undertaking a P1-billion cleanup of the 27-kilometer Tullahan-Tinajeros river system.

From July last year to September 11 this year, SMC reported having removed some 414,000 metric tons of solid waste from the river.

Elevated Bus Rapid Transit

Ang said that the interconnected PAREX and Skyway are critical to improving how the public commutes in Metro Manila.

This is because an earlier announcement by SMC to put up a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system on the Skyway, is also planned for the PAREX, to provide commuters faster, more convenient, and reliable alternative transportation to different points in Metro Manila.

“The BRT system has always been one of our long-term plans for our elevated expressways. This will allow even more Filipinos to use and benefit from our new elevated expressways, and significantly reduce traffic on our public roads,” Ang added.

With the PAREX offering both a faster way to drive or commute around Metro Manila, Ang said that the project can fulfill one of its major environmental goals--that of lowering the amount of harmful emissions released into the air when vehicles are stuck for hours in heavy traffic.

“Just imagine the amount of vehicle pollution we will avoid if trips that usually take two-to-three hours--including long stretches where cars are just idling in traffic--will take only 30 minutes. Also, with a BRT system, many vehicle owners will no longer find the need to drive their own cars--further lessening pollution,” he said.

“We can anticipate a future where perhaps many vehicles are electric. But regardless of what vehicles run on, expressways can adapt and serve their purpose of decongesting traffic, and making private and public transport more efficient. Combined with other ongoing road and rail projects, PAREX will enable us to keep up with the demands of economic development, population growth and the need to protect the environment," he added.—AOL, GMA News