Phase 1 of C5 South Link Expressway to open on June 15

The first phase of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.’s (MPTC) C5 Southlink Expressway project is now 87 percent complete and is set to open to motorists by the middle of June.

During the project’s ocular inspection in Taguig City on Wednesday, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar announced that the 2.2-kilometers Segment 3A1, which will connect Taguig to Merville, Parañaque City, is scheduled to open on June 15.

“This segment is an important portion of the C5 South Link project, once completed motorists using C5 can easily cross to Merville, Parañaque City with no trouble at all and will help decongest about 5,000 cars just for this segment alone,” Villar said.

“Imagine when the whole stretch of C5 South Link is finished, a total of 50,000 cars daily will experience ease of travel,” he said.

The attained progress is comprised of all the sub-structures that will support the expressway’s elevated portions and the viaduct that crosses the at-grade portion of the skyway and South Luzon Expressway.

The P10-billion project spans 7.7 kilometers. The C5 South Link Expressway aims to connect C5 road to Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEx) passing through Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Cavite.

The project is targeted to be completed in 2020.

“The C5 South Link Expressway will soon benefit motorists coming from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque by having a direct access to and from C5-Taguig,” Bobby Bontia, president and general manager of Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (CIC), said.

CIC is a concession company under the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

“When it connects to Cavitex, it will eventually provide a seamless connection to the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) which is also under construction,” Bontia said.

The C5 South Link Expressway project would bring benefits to about 50,000 vehicles decongesting Sales Road and EDSA when it starts commercial operations, he said.

Additionally, travelers from Paranaque, Las Piñas and Cavite will experience a shorter commute, their usual one hour and a half drive will just be under 20 minutes by allowing them to directly cross over the Skyway at grade and SLEX to C5 Taguig City.

MPTC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).—LDF, GMA News