MNTC sees 4% hike in revenues

MANILA, Philippines - Listed infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) sees a four- percent rise in revenues this year with the completion of several road projects leading to the 87-kilometer North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

Rodrigo Franco, president of the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC), said this year’s revenues would be around four percent higher compared to the estimated revenues of P7 billion last year with the completion of several road projects.

“We expect it to be around four percent,” Franco replied when asked about the company’s projected revenue growth for this year.

He clarified that the projected four- percent rise in revenues only factored in the normal three-percent to four-percent traffic growth per year and not the toll hike pending before the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).

He pointed out that last year’s revenues likely amounted to P7 billion as traffic volume reached around 173,000 vehicles per day.

After completing segment 9 which is a 2.4-kilometer traversing NLEX in Valenzuela City to MacArthur Highway, Franco said the company is pursuing three major road projects worth over P30 billion.

Franco said the projects of the MPIC Group include the ongoing P1.6-billion segment 9 and the P10.5-billion segment 10.1 under the Harbor Link as well as the P18-billion segment 10.2 or the NLEX-SLEX connector road.

The construction of segment 9 covering a four-lane divided at-grade expressway stretching 2.42 kilometers from the existing Smart Connect interchange to MacArthur Highway is set to start in May and is expected to be completed June next year.

He added that Segment 10.1 comprising of 5.64 kilometers of four-lane divided elevated expressway from MacArthur Highway to circumferential road – 3 (C-3) is set to start in March and is scheduled for completion in February of 2016.

Furthermore, he revealed that the newest is segment 10.2 or the connector road stretching eight kilometers from C-3 to Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa.

He added that the project that also includes a 2.6-kilometer spur road from C-2 to Road 10 leading to the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) at the Port Area in Manila.