MANILA, Philippines – About 2 years since the first infrastructure project was awarded under the Aquino government’s public-private partnership (PPP) scheme, the P2 billion Daang Hari-SLEx road project is only 30% complete.
Conglomerate Ayala Corp, which won the bidding way back in December 2011, said it is still aiming to finish the venture by mid-2014 despite opposition from the property firm of former Sen Manuel Villar.
“It’s now 30% completed. We will go full blast once the rainy season is over. We’re still targeting middle of 2014,” Eric Francia, Ayala Corp. managing director, said in a briefing in August.
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Daang Hari-SLEx road complete by mid-2014
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He also said the company would push through with the building of a mall within the project area, stressing that it was part of the concession agreement.
“That’s stipulated in the concession agreement. When we bid for this, we had to look at non-toll revenues and we clarified that with the government before the bid and this was available to all bidders. The mall has always been in the concession agreement,” Francia said.
Villar’s Vista Land & Lifescapes has asked the government to re-bid the project, citing Ayala’s plans for a mall was not part of the original design submitted to the government. Vista Land plans to build a mall in the same area.
“Before the bid, we already had the design submitted for the SLEX interface and mall and both of these were clarified before the bid,” Francia explained.
He said Ayala Corp. intends to sit down with concerned parties to clarify thorny issues.
READ:
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The Daang-Hari-Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEx) Project involves the construction of a P2 billion highway that will connect Cavite to Metro Manila. SLEx is a major artery that connects Metro Manila to the provinces in the south.
It seeks to decongest traffic in Cavite, Las Pinas and Muntinlupa as well as nearby areas.
Under the terms and condition of the contract, the $46.6 million-worth road project will be a Build-Transfer-and-Operate (BTO) project and have a concession period of 30 years.
The project will involve the construction of the following:
- 4-lane, 4-km at grade expressway
- 2 rotundas (roundabout)
- Viaduct with a length of 235 meters
- 2-lane bridge crossing SLEX, length – 60 meters
- Expansion of Susana Heights Toll Plaza
- Local roads and two (2) overpasses
- Toll Plaza
- Realignment of private road (Linden Wood) to connect at Roundabout
- Other structures (drainage, fence, noise barrier, lighting, traffic control systems, emergency telephone system and traffic signs)
Source: Rappler.com, September 2nd, 2013
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