Austphil Tollways awaits NEDA okay for NLEE project

The Australian-Philippine consortium Ausphil Tollways Corp. is awaiting approval by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to proceed with the P7.8-billion (A$195 million) North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) Stage 1, according to Ausphil president Ricardo Penson.

The NLEE project comprises 18.9 kilometers between northeast metropolitan Manila and the La Mesa Parkway.

The roadway alignment will start from Commonwealth Avenue at La Mesa to San Jose del Monte City to Norzagaray in Bulacan province.

The Ausphil consortium is composed of Brisbane-based Aspen International Pty. Ltd. as lead proponent, Baseline Consulting Pty. Ltd. of West End as engineering auditors, and Stuff Queensland Pty. Ltd. as equity investor.

Penson said that Stage 2 would connect the development with National Road 5 to service the Cagayan Valley motorist load.

The infrastructure development was included last year in President Arroyo’s priority infrastructure program and will initially carry 69,000 vehicles per day when it opens in mid-2007.

Penson said the project would rely on the practical engineering ideas and technology transfers from Queensland.

The water-sensitive urban toll road project is Australia’s biggest venture in the Philippines yet with Leighton Constructors as the nominated contractor.

Ausphil’s Philippine group is headed by Penson’s DRI Group, Informatics and Integrated PhilConsult.

Conceptual studies started in 1998, evolving into a design for constructed roadways and wetlands for traffic and rainwater management.

The development will produce 12.5 million cubic meters of raw water annually through a catchment and swale filtration process for the La Mesa reservoir.

"This will be the only energy self-sufficient toll road in the world as it generates 30 megawatts through four hydroelectric plants along the stretch," said Penson.

A A$3.6 million toll collection systems standard to the other toll roads in the Philippines will be supplied by Queensland Motorways Limited, operator of the Gateway Bridge and Logan Motorway.

The project will commence construction within 90 days of NEDA approval, but Ausphil already spearheaded the rehabilitation of the La Mesa Nature Park last year as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Ausphil is studying the idea of subsidizing the livelihood training in San Jose del Monte of the resettled people affected by the development to form part of the skilled labor requirements of the project.