11 groups eye Cavite-Laguna tollroad

MANILA, Philippines - Eleven companies led by the country’s largest conglomerates are set to slug it out in the bidding for the P35.4-billion expressway project that would link the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center reported yesterday.

In a statement, PPP Center said 11 companies have so far expressed interest in the Cavite Laguna expressway project as of July 26 or barely four days after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) issued out its invitation to prequalify and bid last July 22.

The agency said interested bidders include the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp., diversified conglomerate San Miquel Corp., the Ayala Group’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. and Makati Development Corp., Cebu-based Aboitizland Inc., and Megawide Engineering Excellence.

Foreign groups that also expressed interest in the project include Korea Expressway Corp., Alloy MTD Philippines Inc., Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Limited, Leighton Contractors (Philippines) Inc., and EGIS Projects Developer of Infrastructure & Service.

The CALA expressway is the third project of the DPWH under the PPP scheme of the Aquino administation. With a cost of P35.42 billion, it is so far the biggest PPP project in terms of project cost and involves the financing, design and construction, operation and maintenance of the entire four-lane, 47 kilometer closed-system tolled expressway connecting the South Luzon expressway (SLEX) and the Manila Cavite Tollroad expressway (Cavitex).

The project would start from the Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEX-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna. It would consist of nine interchanges in Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Blvd., Technopark, and a toll barrier before SLEX.

The proposed expressway would provide a more convenient and faster route to or from Metro Manila to the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (Calabarzon) region and help decongest traffic on the existing road network in the Cavite and Laguna area and at the same time reduce travel time to Metro Manila.

The tollroad would also serve as a connector between the existing and operational Cavitex and SLEX and improve the competitiveness of Region IV-A or the Calabarzon as an investment destination.

The DPWH believes that the provinces of Cavite and Laguna are now considered as among the most industrialized and urbanized areas in the country as both have been home to international and multinational electronic, semiconductor, automotive and manufacturing companies.

These provinces also serve as catchment areas for the residential population of Metro Manila resulting in traffic congestion on the major road networks in the area, particularly on the Aguinaldo Highway, Governor’s Drive, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road.

This is the second major toll road project under the PPP scheme to be auctioned off by the Aquino administration this year. Last July 8, DPWH signed a concession agreement with SMC’s Optimal Infrastructure for the P15.86 billion link that would connect the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) with Cavitex and SLEX.

Earlier, DPWH undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the agency’s Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) has given local and international companies until Sept. 23 to submit their prequalification documents for the project.

Yabut said the CALA project would be undertaken as a “pure” public private partnership (PPP) project wherein the winning proponent would have to construct the entire 47-kilometer toll road.