Firms line up for Sta Mesa-MOA toll project
Updated April 22, 2017 – 12:00am
http://www.philstar.com/
MANILA, Philippines – Other conglomerates have expressed interest in joining the team of Ayala Corp. and SM Investments Corp. in building a P25 billion elevated tollroad from Sta. Mesa in Manila.
“This is interesting. We were approached by other people who want to join the project,” he said.
Almendras said Chinese investors have also expressed interest in teaming up with the Ayala group for other infrastructure projects.
He said AC Infrastructure and the SM Group had already received the official acknowledgment from the Department of Public Works and Highways for the unsolicited project.
“We just received (on Thursday) the official acknowledgement from DPWH for our first unsolicited proposal. Effectively, this starts the clock ticking. A letter was signed by DPWH saying that they are now in the process of evaluating the proposal,” Almendras said.
The project involves the development of an 8.6-kilometer elevated tollroad from Sta. Mesa in Manila (linking Skyway Stage 3) to the Mall of Asia in Pasay.
The Ayala-SM consortium proposed to design, finance, construct and operate the elevated tollroad for a period of 35 years.
The alignment for the proposed tollroad or C-3 elevated expressway, which will complete (Circumferential Road 3) C-3, will start from C-3 Sta.Mesa area, traverse a portion of the Pasig River up to Circuit Makati area, run parallel to South Avenue and then follow Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave. all the way to the Mall of Asia complex.
The project’s proposed interchanges will be located in Sta.Mesa, the Circuit Makati, Ayala-Gil Puyat, Roxas Boulevard and the SM Mall of Asia Complex.
The two companies came up with the project to provide easy access to their respective developments.
SM was looking at how to connect their developments in the bayside area, while AC Infrastructure was mandated to study mobility within its townships and find access to Makati without having to pass by EDSA.
Almendras said the proposed project is expected to reduce traffic congestion along EDSA and improve access to Manila Bay development areas, Makati central business district as well as the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan and Manila.
The proposed project, which can accommodate up to 150,000 vehicles, will take three years to complete.
Aside from this, Almendras said the company is looking to submit two more unsolicited proposals including an infrastructure project in Mindanao.
