By Mary Ann LL Reyes (The Philippine Star) Updated March 26, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) has committed to spend more than P300 million to integrate the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) with the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
MPTC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), will be taking over SCTEX, the country’s second longest expressway, in May.
“We hope [the takeover] will happen already in the next two months,” MPTC president Ramoncito Fernandez yesterday.
Another official said the turnover of SCTEX to MPTC by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) is scheduled next month, with the integration of the 94-kilometer SCTEX and the 84-kilometer NLEX set to start immediately after the takeover.
BCDA, which built SCTEX using a loan from the Japanese government, earlier awarded MPTC the contrat to manage and operate the expressway. MPTC owns and operates NLEX.
“Our immediate plan is to integrate SCTEX and NLEX. It will be completed six months from the takeover,” Fernandez said.
He added that the tollway firm is committed to spend more than P300 million in the first six months, allocated mainly for the integration of operations of the expressways connecting Metro Manila to the northern part of Luzon.
“We will remove some of the exits, transfer it and make it more seamless,” Fernandez revealed, adding that traffic will grow slowly after the integration.
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