DPWH sets deadline for CLLEX

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is giving interested bidders a two-week extension to submit prequalification documents for the proposed P15 billion Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) connecting Tarlac to Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija.

In a Notice of Postponement, DPWH undersecretary Alfredo Tolentino said the submission of prequalification documents for the first phase of CLLEX scheduled on Jan. 19 has been called off due to the scheduled visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines from Jan. 15 to 19.

Tolentino said the deadline for the submission or prequalification documents for the public private partnership (PPP) project has to be deferred as Malacañang has declared Jan. 15, 16, and 19 as special non-working days in the National Capital Region.

The deadline for the submission of prequalification documents has been postponed to Feb. 2.

Tolentino pointed out that some contractors and bidders have requested that they be given ample time to secure or acquire necessary documents from the country of origin due to the long Christmas holidays.

The first phase of the CLLEX project worth P14.9 billion would cover a 30.7-kilometer four-lane expressway stretching from Tarlac to Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, while the second phase worth P14.2 billion covers 35.7 kilometer worth a two-lane expressway from Cabanatuan City to San Jose City, in Nueva Ecija.

CLLEX forms an important lateral (east-west) link of an overall High Standard Highway network within the 200-kilometer radius from Metro Manila.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would fund the construction of the 66.4-kilometer CLLEX, while operation and maintenance would be under the PPP scheme.

The proposed expressway would start at the end of the 94-kilometer Subic Clark Tarlac expressway (SCTEX) up to 88.85-km Tarlac – Pangasinan – La Union expressway (TPLEX).

The DPWH is also looking at extending the Jan. 14 deadline for the submission of prequalification documents for the P123 billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike project (LLEDP).

A total of 24 companies have expressed interest in the government’s largest PPP project. These include JG Summit Holdings Inc. of taipan John Gokongwei, diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the Lucio Tan Group, property giant Ayala Land Inc., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) of infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), Megaworld Corp. of businessman Andrew Tan, GT Capital Holdings Inc. of taipan George Ty, Filinvest Land Inc. of taipan Andrew Gotianun, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Filipino-owned Megawide Construction Corp., and others.

The LLEDP involves the construction of a 47-kilometer flood control dike on top of which will be a high speed six-lane expressway starting from Taguig, passes through Muntinlupa and Calamba, and ends in Los Banos at its boundary with Bay, Laguna.

Likewise, the PPP project also includes the reclamation of about 700 hectares of foreshore and offshore areas, west of the dike, in Taguig and Muntinlupa.