THE P1.1-billion enhancement program at the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) is a two-pronged initiative that will not only decongest the thoroughfare, but also increase traffic volume by at least a tenth, a ranking official said on Thursday.
Metro Pacific Tollways South Corp. (MPT South) President Luigi L. Bautista told reporters his group has just opened to commercial traffic two of the four lanes of its recently constructed southbound flyover.
This, he said, has provided ease of transport to motorists using the expressway.
“This partial opening will help ease traffic, while we continue with the rest of Phase I of the construction-enhancement works. We expect to complete Phase I by the end of this month or early September,” Bautista said.
Phase I refers to the road-widening efforts of the company involving the addition of one lane each for both directions of the R-1 section of the expressway—stretching from Miaa to Zapote.
Once completed, the section will have four operational lanes each.
“We are confident we will be able to finish the lane widening of R-1 by the end of this month, and so is the full completion of the Marina Left Turn facility,” Bautista added. “We expect them to contribute to the decongestion of the expressway.”
The first phase of the enhancement program involves the infusion of P800 million in fresh capital from the company.
Phase II refers to the widening of three bridges along the Cavitex, namely, Wawa, Las Piñas and Parañaque.
“We will start that in September. At the moment, the bridges have three lanes each. After the widening, they will have four lanes each way,” Bautista said.
The expansion program for the bridges has a price tag of P300 million in total.
“For the bridge-widening program, the target is to finish it by April or May next year,” Bautista said. “This will be the ultimate decongestion for R-1.”
Currently, the expressway handles about 145,000 vehicles per day. Once these enhancements have been completed, traffic is expected to grow by a tenth.
“Based on our study, there’s going to be an additional traffic of about at least 10 percent,” Bautista said.
Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar noted full benefits of the facility will be felt by motorists once the enhancement program has been finished.
“Motorists will feel the full benefits of its ongoing enhancements once all of the lanes of this facility are opened and all the other enhancements are completed,” he said.
MPT South is a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the largest tollways holding company in the Philippines.
Aside from its local expressways, the infrastructure conglomerate also has interests in toll-road companies in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.