Planned skyway network to decongest Metro Manila by 2015 — DPWH

A three-part skyway network is in the works in order to decongest Metro Manila by 2015, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Monday.

 

At the Senate finance committee hearing on the performance of the DPWH, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said President Benigno Aquino III has approved the construction of a Metro Manila Skyway Network.

 

Singson said the network consists of three parts: the NAIA Expressway Project, the NLEx-SLEx Connector Project, and the Metro Manila Skyway Project.

 

The NAIA Expressway Project will connect the South Super Highway to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals 1 to 3 all the way to the PAGCOR Entertainment City.

 

On the other hand, the NLEx-SLEx Connector Project will link the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and the South Luzon Expresseway (SLEx) to the airport terminals while the Metro Manila Skyway will connect the SLEx to Quezon City, specifically to Araneta Avenue all the way to Balintawak.

 

"Now you have three-legged national NCR Skyway Network that will connect all the major destinations. Hopefully, this will really improve and decongest our major thoroughfares like EDSA, Taft Ave, Buendia, and so on," Singson said at a press conference after the hearing.

 

He said the project, which is being implemented through PPP, will cost around P75 to P80 billion.

 

The DPWH chief said the target Aquino gave them to construct the network was 2015, although parts of the project have already begun.

 

"We're confident that segments of this skyway network will be operational by 2015. We are looking at how we can see to it if not all the road networks will be finished by at least mid-2016, when the whole thing will be completed," he said. 'Very pleased'

 

During Monday's press briefing, Senate finance committee chair Sen. Franklin Drilon said he was "very pleased" with the performance of the DPWH in the past year.

 

"Generally the committee is very pleased with the improvements that have been instituted by Sec. Singson in terms of the utilization, particularly of the utilization of the budget which has been a focus of criticisms in the past so we have made great strides in that area," he said.

 

Singson said they have an implemented budget of P162 billion this year, P105 billion of which has been obligated as of June 2012. He also said that compared to the disbursement of P26 billion during the same period the year before, they have already disbursed P64 billion.

 

He also said that as of July this year, 2,515 projects have already been issued notices to proceed, which means they are already ongoing.

 

He added that they are already bidding out their projects for 2013 because they want to be able to award the contracts right after the budget is approved.

 

"We're trying to improve the implementation schedule becayse one of target is what we call right on time delivery. We are definitely improving our project implementation schedule so that we take advantage of the dry months," he said.

 

But Singson stressed that they are not only focusing on "NCR-centric" projects like the Skyway Network.

 

"People might complain NCR-centric na naman budget that's not quite true because we're also doing projects in Cavite, Laguna...Central Luzon," he said.

 

Singson was referring to the CALA (Cavite-Laguna) Expressway Project, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Toll Expressway (TPLEX) Project, the Daang-Hari-SLEx Link Project, the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEx) Project, and C-6 Expressway and Global Link Project.

 

"The whole objective is to make our produce coming from region 2 easily accessible to the Metro Manila markets," he said.

 

He also said that 26 percent of their national road projects are for Mindanao, specifically the ARMM.

 

"This will be focused on national roads," he said.

 

Drilon said the DPWH's 2012 budget for capital outlay of P99.5 billion will be increased to P140.5 in 2013, most of which will be sourced from locally generated funds. Drilon said there was a 6 percent reduction in foreign-assisted projects.

 

"This a signifcant shift," he said. — RSJ, GMA News