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The government will propose to Chinese government to
fund the multibillion-peso urban skyway project that will connect
the north and south expressways and provide linkage between Metro
Manila and nearby provinces, the National Economic and Development
Authority said.
Called Metro Manila Skyway
Project Stages Two and Three, the project is estimated to cost
P54.76 billion, with P12.19 billion going to the first phase and
P42.57 billion to the second phase.
According to the proposal, 80
percent of funding will come from the Chinese and the remaining 20
percent from the National Development Co., the project proponent.
NEDA is also looking at a mix of
Chinese official development assistance and NDC equity or commercial
loans plus government funds.
Stage 2 of the project involves a
6.6-kilometer extension of the existing Skyway from Parañaque
City at about 400 meters south of the Bicutan Interchange. It will
traverse southward along the South Luzon Expressway, crossing over
Sucat road where a new interchange is proposed.
Meanwhile, Stage 3 incorporates a
circumferential link between North Luzon Expressway and SLEX through
a 15.5 km viaduct running adjacent to the Buendia Flyover and
Nagtahan Link Bridge passing through commercial, industrial and
mostly residential establishments, crossing over Pasig River, San
Juan River and several creeks up to the Balintawak interchange.
In addition, the project has port
linkage components that could cost P13.54 billion. It consists of an
8.63-km viaduct incorporating an elevated link between the Manila
Port, NLEX and the proposed stages two and three components.
The port linkage alignment begins
at Sgt. Rivera Avenue, traverses above C-3 Road, 5th Avenue, R-10
Road and terminates at the Zaragoza avenue.
In a related development,
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo L. Neri said the government
will sign a memorandum of agreement with Chinese Development Bank to
lend to Chinese private companies who are willing to invest in the
Philippines.
“They [Chinese Development
Bank] will not lend if there is no approval with the Philippine
government,” he explained.
Neri added that Chinese firms
could invest in agri-business and hotels in the Philippines.
--Darwin G. Amojelar
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