Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. said it expects to complete the construction of an expressway that will connect C5 road to Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway by June 2019.
Luigi Bautista, president of Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., a unit of MPTC, said the company would spend P10 billion for the construction of the 7.7-kilometer, six-lane C5 South Link Expressway that is now in full swing.
“We are all very excited and proud that we have brought this project into construction stage. The first phase is 2.2 kilometers long including a flyover above the South Luzon Expressway and Skyway from C-5 Road in Taguig to Merville in Sucat, Parañaque, and costs about P2.5 billion,” Bautista said.
The expressway’s second phase, from Merville to Cavitex (Coastal Road), is estimated to cost around P7.5 billion.
Completion of the project is targeted in June 2019 and will be operated as an open toll collection system.
“The benefits of this urgent infrastructure project will far outweigh the temporary inconvenience during construction. Upon completion, this toll road will speed up the commute of motorists, and travelers from Paranaque, Las Piñas and Cavite by allowing them to directly cross over the South Luzon Expressway and Skyway into C5 Taguig City,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.
Villar said about 40,000 to 45,000 vehicles would benefit from the C-5 South Link and potentially decongest Edsa once it started commercial operations.
MPTC president Rodrigo Franco said C5-Southlink would benefit those coming from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque by having a direct access to and from C5.
He said the project would eventually provide a seamless connection to the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway which is under construction.
MPTC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
Aside from the Cavitex network of toll roads, MPTC operates the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and the soon to be constructed Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.