East-west linkage to solve Metro Manila’s traffic woes

MANILA, Philippines -  “East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”

This immortal line written by Rudyard Kipling may have applied to life in the British India of Kipling’s youth, but it is certainly no longer true in today’s interconnected world. And it definitely does not apply to modern urban planning.

In fact, connecting east and west Manila is precisely the goal of the Cavitex C5 South Link expressway venture, a P12-billion flagship project under the government‘s public-private partnership program whose groundbreaking rites last month was led by President Aquino himself. A joint venture of the Philippine Reclamation Authority and Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., this six-lane tollway will seamlessly link the Manila–Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) on the eastern side of Metro Manila to Circumferential Road 5 (C5) on west Metro Manila.

“Once completed, the CAVITEX C5 South Link will cut the current east-to-west and vice-versa travel time by more than half,” Luigi Bautista, CIC president, said.

Transforming Luzon into world-class logistics hub

A member of the Metro Pacific Group, CIC is a company of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), the largest toll road operator in the Philippines today. Operating the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and CAVITEX, MPTC is an investment holding company that is helping transform central and southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, into a world-class logistics hub by facilitating the movement of people and goods through a network of modern, traffic-free tollways.

A 7.7-kilometer tollway with three lanes on both sides, the CAVITEX C5 South Link is envisioned to decongest traffic by linking the major business districts in Makati, Taguig and Ortigas to the southern cities of Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite. The tollway will run from the end of C5, just before entering the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), to CAVITEX near the Parañaque toll plaza.

The worsening traffic problem, according to a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is exacting a heavy toll on the economy.  The JICA study estimates that traffic in Metro Manila alone is costing the economy a whooping P2.4 billion a day, or P120 for every resident of the metropolis.

On the other hand, a University of the Philippines Planning and Development Research Foundation study has confirmed that expressway travel significantly reduces travel time and vehicle operating costs such as repair, maintenance and fuel costs.

“South Metro Manila is composed mostly of residential areas where most of the residents work in Makati, Taguig and Ortigas,” Bautista said. “So during rush hour, there is a large volume of vehicles that travel daily, resulting in traffic congestion in EDSA and C5.”

“The CAVITEX C5 South Link will allow residents from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque to avoid EDSA, and take a direct link to and from C5 to the CAVITEX,” he added.

The CIC president also pointed out that aside from decongesting traffic in the south, the toll road, which is designed to target high value trips such as cargo trucks, vans and buses, will help increase productivity and economic activity.

A modern tollway system to connect east and west

The CAVITEX C-5 South Link, according to Bautista, will feature a modern tollway system with traffic management and safety measures that are at par with international standards. These include: computerized toll collection, traffic and security management systems; reliable emergency and roadside services including emergency phone boxes; variable message signs and closed circuit TV system covering the entire expressway to provide real-time traffic information; Dedicated electronic lanes for faster toll payment transactions for both RFID and smart card systems; and Roadway lighting in strategic areas.

Construction of the first phase of the CAVITEX C5 South Link, which will connect C5 to Merville, Parañaque by way of a flyover, will start this year. The second phase will begin in 2017 when the link between Merville and CAVITEX will be constructed.

The construction, operation and maintenance of the project are projected to generate at least 1,000 jobs.

“When completed, the CAVITEX C5 South Link is expected to enhance property values and boost economic development in the cities of Taguig and Parañaque,” Bautista said. “When it eventually connects with CAVITEX in 2020, the transport of goods and travel of people between Metro Manila and Southern Luzon will become easier, faster and more convenient.”