MPTC unit to award contract for Cebu Cordova expressway

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) subsidiary Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC) is planning to award the contract to the winning bidder for the P27.9 billion Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in September.

Rosemarie Versoza, manager for legal services at CCLEC, said the company expects to award the contract for the CCLEX next month.

“We’re now in the process of evaluating which of the contractors are the best with the best price. While we are doing that, on the other side, we are also securing all the necessary permits from government agencies,” she said.

The company needs to obtain a special land use permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as the City Environment and Natural Resources Office because the project would partly cover timberland.

The 8.5-kilometer CCLEX will have a causeway and bridge toll facility between Mactan island and Cebu City.

It was initiated by MPTC with the local governments of Cebu City and Cordova.

Versoza said the actual construction works for the CCLEX are targeted to begin in January next year.

“We are committed to finish the project by 2020,” she said.

Upon completion, the project is expected to help ease traffic congestion in metropolitan Cebu, as well as promote economic growth in the province and the rest of the Central Visayas region.

Aside from the CCLEX, MPTC is involved in other tollway projects.

At present, it operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

It is also working on other tollway projects such as NLEX-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road, NLEX-Harbor Link Segment 10, Cavite-Laguna Expressway, and C-5 South Link.