MPTC unit awards P8 billion contract for NLEX-SLEX roadlink to DMCI

MANILA,Philippines — NLEX Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.(MPTC), has awarded the P8 billion contract for the first phase of the expressway linking the North Luzon Expressway(NLEX) to the South Luzon Expressway(SLEX) to D.M.Consunji Inc.

On Tuesday, NLEX Corp. along with officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways and D.M. Consunji Inc. inspected the NLEX construction site along the Philippine National Railways tracks in Caloocan City.

The first five kilometers of the project stretches from Grace Park in Caloocan to Espana St. in Sampaloc, Manila.

“What we’ve done today is  just award the contract. There’s going to be some sort of ceremonial signing in the next two weeks,”NLEX Corp. president and general manager Luigi Bautista said.

 “The actual work on the ground, for the first four or five [kilometers] would be toward the end of November,” he said.

Bautista said construction of the first phase of the project is expected to span 20 months.

While only about 50 percent of the project’s right-of-way( ROW) has been delivered, Bautista said this is enough to get the project started.

“Its about two kilometers in the Caloocan section so its enough work area for them to start. There’s going to be construction as the right-of-way is being acquired,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bautista said they are targeting to start the procurement process for the P8-billion second section of the NLEX connector road project by next month.

“Towards the end of March next year we should be able to appoint already a contractor for Section 2. That’s from España to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa,” Bautista said.

Construction of the three kilometer section is expected to last for 18 months.

The P23.3 billion NLEX-SLEX connector project is set to be completed by 2021 and is expected to cut travel time from NLEX to SLEX by at least 60 percent.

The groundbreaking for the project was held last February, which was two months ahead of its original May 2019 schedule.