Posted on February 25, 2016
08:46:00 PM
By Daphne J. Magturo,
Reporter
THE AYALA group’s
P2.01-billion Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX), which it bagged under a
public-private partnership (PPP) auction, is about to hit half of its traffic
volume capacity just half a year after it started operations, helped by the
aggressive property developments in the area.
THE MUNTINLUPA-CAVITE
Expressway is one of the latest public-private partnership projects opened to
the public. -- MCX FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
“Our first milestone is to
exceed the 25,000 [daily traffic volume] so hopefully that will come in the
next couple of years,” AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. President and Chief
Executive Officer John Eric T. Francia said in an interview on the sidelines of
a recent forum in Makati City.
The four-kilometer toll
road, formerly known as the Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) Connector
Road, became operational on July 24 last year. It can accommodate 50,000
motorists everyday.
“The average now is over
20,000. We have not yet reached 25,000 but we’re close,” Mr. Francia said.
“Obviously the development
of that area is fast growing, so once people build houses and mixed-use
developments -- the real estate developers have been so aggressive in pushing
for their projects there -- that will drive traffic volume.”
The toll road will link the
city of Muntinlupa and the province of Cavite to Metro Manila and the rest of
Southern Luzon.
Ayala Corp.’s real estate
arm Ayala Land, Inc. owns properties along the stretch of Alabang Road to Daang
Hari, including commercial complex Alabang Town Center as well as residential
projects across its various brands.
The Public Works department
earlier said the toll road will also provide new access to the National Bilibid
Prison property in Muntinlupa City, which the government intends to redevelop
into a mixed-use area with commercial, residential, and institutional
components.
Public Works Secretary
Rogelio L. Singson had said in July last year that the catchment area
population of the toll road is three million, specifically in the areas of
Imus, Dasmariñas, Bacoor, Muntinlupa, and San Pedro.
The MCX will cut travel
time by an average of 45 minutes and decongest traffic in the Cavite, Las
Piñas, and Muntinlupa areas.
Aside from MCX, AC
Infrastructure also won two other PPP projects: the P64.9-billion Light Rail
Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension and P1.72-billion contactless Automatic Fare
Collection System for the LRT-1, LRT-2 and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3.
So far, contracts for 12
PPP projects cumulatively worth some P217.4 billion have been awarded since the
infrastructure flagship was launched in the third quarter of 2010.