• San Miguel Corp will spend P323 billion for the construction of tollways throughout Luzon within the next 12 months
• The conglomerate is set to begin civil works for the Northern Access Link Expressway this year
• Also in the pipeline are the Southern Access Link Expressway and the first phase of the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 5
San Miguel Corp (SMC) will spend P323 billion for the construction of tollways throughout Luzon within the next 12 months.
The conglomerate is set to begin civil works for the Northern Access Link Expressway (NALEX) this year after submitting the final engineering design of the project, according to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).
Also in the pipeline are the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) and the first phase of the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 5 (SLEX TR 5), said TRB executive director Alvin Carullo.
SMC laid the groundwork for the Balintawak section of NALEX earlier this year so it can now proceed with the construction of the toll road as the final engineering design has been approved, he said.
The 136.4-kilometer NALEX, which will run through Metro Manila, the New Manila International Airport (NMIA, also an SMC project) in Bulacan, and Central Luzon in its first phase, will cost P148.3 billion.
The second phase of the expressway will be constructed based on demand, stretching from Masantol, Pampanga and Tarlac City, providing motorists an alternate route when traversing Central Luzon.
This month, SMC is expected to complete the final engineering design for SALEX, paving the way for construction of the tollway in early 2025.
Connecting NMIA to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), SALEX will cost around P152.39 billion. SALEX will principally run along the coastline of Metro Manila, covering 40.65 kilometers of elevated roads.
Next year, SMC is expected to proceed with the first leg of the SLEX TR5, the initial phase of which will span close to 60 km from Lucena to Gumaca, Quezon. Cost is pegged at P22.6 billion.
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Once completed, SLEX TR5 will be 417 km long, from Lucena to Matnog, Sorsogon. It will run parallel to the idle Philippine National Railways in southern Luzon.
From being the country’s biggest food and beverage conglomerate, SMC has spread its wings and gone on a construction binge under current CEO Ramon Ang. The company operates, among others, the Skyway, SLEX, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, and the NAIA Expressway.
