DPWH eyes private sector involvement in Metro Cebu Expressway

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday said it is looking at tapping the private sector for parts of the Metro Cebu Expressway connecting Naga City and Danao City.

In a presentation before the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral said the agency is looking to undertake Segment 1 and part of Segment 3 of the project through a public-private partnership (PPP).

“There’s a segment and a portion of Segment 3 that we’re going to propose for possible PPP or private sector to consider the maintenance of the other segments and the construction and operation of other segments,” she said in Makati City.

“So right now we are proposing to NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) to implement operations and maintenance and completion of the entire Metro Cebu Expressway under the BOT Law or the Build Operate Transfer Law, engage the private sector to help us operate,” she added.

Cabral said the DPWH targets to issue a Notice to Proceed for the consulting services for the supplemental studies on the project by May 12, and complete such studies by November 2023.

The project proposal is also set for resubmission to the NEDA’s Investment Coordination Committee to comply with the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the BOT Law which took effect last October.

The Metro Cebu Expressway is a 56.9-kilometer expressway connecting Naga City to Danao City, seeking to cut the travel time between the two areas to 50 minutes from the current three hours.

Segment 1 of the project is a 25.20-kilometer expressway connecting Minglanilla, Cebu City, and Mandaue/Consolacion; Section 2 with 23.36 kilometers from Mandaue/Consolacion to Danao City; and Section 3 with 8.38 kilometers from Naga City to Minglanilla.

A portion of Segment 3 costing P1.35 billion is locally funded. It is currently 97.83% complete and is targeted to be fully completed before the end of 2023.

“We have started this in 2018, we’re targeting to complete this portion, a portion of this Segment 3 using our local funds, and we’re roughly going to complete this by this year,” Cabral said.

“We are going to increase the country's high-standard highways and expressways through our Philippine High Standard Highway Network Program by building more, like, high-standard highways and expressways across the country,” she added.

Under the program, the government seeks to increase the country’s high-standard highways and expressways to 1,816 kilometers from the current 510 kilometers.

Among the projects included is the 1,213-kilometer Luzon Spine Expressway Network (LSEN) Program, which is set to cut down the travel time between Ilocos and Bicol to nine hours from the current 20 hours.—AOL, GMA Integrated News