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Exciting news! METRO PACIFIC Tollways Corp. (MPTC) has kicked off the bidding process to find contractors for the first phase of its impressive P8-billion Lapu-Lapu Expressway (LLEx) expansion, which is set to wrap up by the end of 2027.
“We’re in the bidding phase right now,” said MPTC President and CEO Gilbert Gabriel F. Santa Maria at a recent media chat.
“We’ve already decided on an alignment, but some parts will overlap with an existing road. The feasibility study is complete, and we’ve secured the concession rights, along with the necessary approvals… Now we’re just seeing which engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors are interested in taking on this project for us,” he added.
Mr. Santa Maria mentioned that the first phase of the LLEx is currently undergoing detailed engineering design.
The estimated cost of P8 billion covers construction, right-of-way purchases, and concession rights, although final costs will still need more analysis and approval.
This project aims to expand MPTC’s Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEx), a toll road that will enhance traffic flow and efficiency. The P33-billion CCLEx is an 8.9-kilometer toll bridge linking Cordova on Mactan Island to Cebu City through the South Road Properties.
“We’ve finished the Cebu-Cordova link bridge, but to truly maximize its effectiveness and boost Cebu’s economy, it must connect to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA),” he explained.
Additionally, this project will connect the bridge to Metropolitan Cebu City, with ramps to Guadalupe currently in the design stage, Mr. Santa Maria noted.
Last year, MPTC announced plans to expand both ends of CCLEx, linking it to Bacalso and Lapu-Lapu.
MPTC is also pursuing a P15-billion investment from Spanish infrastructure company Acciona S.A. in 2024 to help support the CCLEx expansion.
Moreover, the company has been in discussions with a European firm to bolster this project, which is part of its strategy to ramp up traffic on the expressway, currently hitting only 30% of expected volumes and falling short of the target of 50,000 motorists per day.
MPTC is the tollways branch of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), one of the three main Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
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