French, Filipino firms tapped to complete NAIA expressway

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will tap partners so it can finish the P15.4-billion ($349.17 million) Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) expressway in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in November this year.

The country is hosting this year’s APEC conference, particularly the related meetings, the CEO Summit, and ministerial and leaders’ meetings.  

France’s Matière SAS and Filipino-owned Armando U. Khong Hun General Contractor’s Incorporated will undertake a portion of the ongoing construction of NAIA expressway.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said the conglomerate, through Vertex Tollways Development Incorporated, entered into the partnership to speed up the completion of the public-private partnership (PPP) project. 

The French engineering and construction firm and its local counterpart would construct the Parañaque riverside section of the 4-lane, 7.15-kilometer elevated toll road that would connect the NAIA terminals 1 to 4 to the Metro Manila Skyway along South Luzon expressway (SLEX) and the Manila-Cavite Toll expressway (Cavitex).

The Parañaque riverside section will be constructed using the uni-bridge modular solution system, a steel modular bridge system predesigned and prefabricated in France. Using this system guarantees a substantial completion of the new section within 10 months.

In order to address issues on safety, traffic flow, and right-of-way along the Domestic Road, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) issued a variation notice to transfer the alignment of the expressway to the riverside of Parañaque City.

As such, the expressway would now start from Sales Avenue, cross Andrews Avenue, Parañaque Riverside instead of Domestic Road, and NAIA Road ending at Macapagal Boulevard, where the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Entertainment City is situated. – Rappler.com

US$1 = P44.11