MANILA, Philippines – Motorists will enjoy one month of free toll fees at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport expressway (NAIAX) starting September 22.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade revealed this on Wednesday, September 14, during the Senate hearing on the proposed 2017 budget of his agency.

“Isa pa ho, nakausap ko concessionaire (One more thing, I talked to the concessionaire), the public will enjoy one month free, no toll fees when we open that,” Tugade said.

“‘Di ho mura ‘yun. Kwinenta namin, madaming sakripisyo din ‘yung concessionare doon (That’s not cheap. We computed it. The concessionare will have many sacrifices),” he added.

Tugade said the first phase of the NAIA expressway connecting Terminals 1 and 2 would open on Thursday, September 22.

The complete project, including the portion linking Terminal 3, would be accessible to the public before the year ends, he added.

NAIAX is expected to decongest traffic around terminals of the airport.

“So that before the end of this year, all the flyovers will be open,” Tugade said.

Several senators who attended the hearing welcomed the announcement, including Senate finance committee chair Loren Legarda and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

“Thank you for that bit of good news,” Legarda sad.

“I’m glad the secretary said that. This administration also needs good news. I hope this will be harped [on] by the media,” Zubiri said.

Aquino administration recognized

Tugade, for his part, recognized the Aquino administration for starting the project.

“For the record, hindi po kami ‘yan. Past administration po ‘yan. Sila ang nagtayo, kami lang ho nagtapos at nag-open,” Tugade said.

The initial target completion of NAIAX was in October 2015, but the project suffered from delays over right-of-way acquisition and stalled relocation of utilities.

Costing P17.9 billion ($385.2 million), NAIAX is a 4-lane, 7.75-kilometer elevated expressway and 2.22-kilometer at-grade road project, which would traverse Sales Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Parañaque River, MIAA Road, and Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.

The project was awarded to conglomerate San Miguel Corporation, through its subsidiary and concession firm Vertex Tollways Development Incorporated, with civil works contractor DM Consunji Incorporated. – Rappler.com