Ayala infra unit expects completion of Daang Hari-SLEX toll road next yr

MANILA, Philippines - The infrastructure arm of Ayala Corp. (AC)  is looking to complete the P2-billion Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) toll road project in the third quarter next year.

This as AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. said it is confident the ongoing issues over the project will soon be settled.

“We’re targeting that by the end of the third quarter of next year, we can hopefully finish the work,” said Noel Eli Kintanar, executive vice-president of AC Infrastructure.

“Based on our working program, I think it’s more September or October completion next year,” Kintanar said.

Construction of the toll road, which seeks to decongest traffic in Cavite, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa as well as nearby areas, is currently 30-percent complete.

“We’ve been working very closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways and other parties affected by the right-of-way acquisition. We’re hoping we will make some breakthrough,” Kintanar said.

Villar led Vista Land & Lifescapes earlier asked the government to re-bid the project, saying that Ayala revised the original design it submitted to the government. Vista Land and the Ayala conglomerate plan to put up a shopping mall in the same area.

Despite the issues, Kintanar said AC Infrastructure will pursue portions of the toll road where it can work on.

“We know the value of the project,” Kintanar said, adding it’s just a matter of time before all parties involved will come to an agreement.

Touted as the first major infrastructure project bid out under the Aquino administration’s flagship Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program, the Daang-Hari-SLEX project involves the construction of a highway that will connect Cavite to Metro Manila. AC won the bidding in December 2011.

Kintanar said the Daang Hari-SLEX road is a small project in the grand scheme of things.

“The key is it’s our first project. It allows us to understand the PPP investments and it will help us in our subsequent investments,” Kintanar said.