MANILA, Philippines – The tollway arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is planning to propose a P20-billion expressway project to connect the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) to the Port Area.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco told reporters the proposed expressway has an initial project cost of P20 billion.

He said the expressway would link Cavitex and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) starting “after Segment 10 going to the port.”

“We have yet to finalize alignment. It is still under discussion,” he said.

He also said the project study has yet to be completed.

MPIC unit NLEX Corp. is currently building NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, an elevated roadway to link Segment 9 at the MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City to C-3 Road in Caloocan City.

Segment 9, which is the first component of the NLEX Harbor Link, connects NLEX from the Smart Connect Interchange to MacArthur Highway.

NLEX Corp. expects to complete Segment 10 by the end of the year.

MPIC currently operates NLEX, Cavitex, as well as the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

It is also building other tollway projects.

Last month, MPIC subsidiary MPCALA Holdings Inc. started the construction for the P35.43 billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway, which would connect CAVITEX and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

In March, MPIC subsidiary Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. held the groundbreaking for the P27.9 billion Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, an 8.25-kilometer (km) toll bridge which will connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova.

Earlier, Franco said MPIC expects to break ground to mark the start of construction works of the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road in the fourth quarter.

The NLEX-SLEX connector road project covers the construction, as well as handling the operations and maintenance of the eight-km, four-lane elevated toll expressway over the right of way of the Philippine National Railways. It will start at the junction of the NLEX segment 10 at C-3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan City, and connect to the SLEX through the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project in Manila.