P52-billion elevated highway proposed

February 21, 2017 at 16:00

A P52-billion elevated highway that will connect the cities of Manila to Taguig through Pasig River have been proposed to the Duterte Administration intended to ease, if not eliminate, traffic in EDSA and other major thoroughfares in metropolis.

In an unsolicited proposal, AKH General Contractor, Inc. said the elevated highway project called “Integrated Viaduct and Personal Rapid Transit System (IVPRT)” will have a total length of 21.74 kilometers with four lanes, that is, two on each lane.

Under the first phase, the proposed build-operate-transfer (BOT) project will construct four lane viaducts above Pasig River from Delpan Bridge in Manila through Bonifacio Drive/Roxas Boulevard to Napindan Bridge in Taguig where it will intersect Metro Manila Circumferential 6.

The C-6 project from Skyway/ Food Terminal, Inc. in Taguig to Batasan Complex in Quezon City will be finished by 2020, it was learned.

Aside from the viaducts, an off and on ramp that will be located in Delpan likewise in Napindan with five other ramps in between to cover the cities of San Juan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig and Marikina.

The Pasig River Viaduct from Delpan Bridge to Napindan Bridge will have center line length of 21.74 kilometers with seven interchanges, according to the design of the project.

The proposed viaduct will attract vehicles from and bound to southeastern of EDSA such as Pasig, Cainta City, Taytay City and western part of Antipolo City in Rizal province and the far eastern of EDSA such as Angono, Binangonan and Mabitac in Rizal and nearby municipality of Laguna.

The construction company is the contractor of a bridge above the Parañaque River as part of the newly opened NAIA Expressway project with less right-of-way (ROW) acquisition in part of the government.

The multi-billion project reportedly will reduce vehicular traffic along EDSA by 23.13 percent is being evaluated by the Department of Public Works and Highway and the Department of Transportation.

As an expansion, phase two of the project will have an elevated highway atop the San Juan and Marikina Rivers. The two bridges will cater to the motorists from F. Manalo in San Juan and Sta. Mesa, Manila and those from Marcos Highway in Marikina and Ortigas Avenue Extension in Pasig.

On the other hand, phase three of the project will be the incorporation of Personal Rapid Transit System (PRTS) with fully computerized operations. Six passengers could ride per car and there will be ten stations.

According to the engineers, the PRTS is an additional way of reducing traffic because the car owners will no longer have to bring their own vehicle while the commuting public will lessen riding buses or transferring to jeepney, reducing pedestrian traffic which also adds to the vehicular traffic.

“The PRTS is a convenient way of transportation which could accommodate people from class B and C,” according to the construction company officials.

The contactor intends to complete the entire project in 42 months with no cost from the government.

Source: https://business.mb.com.ph/2017/02/19/p52-billion-elevated-highway-proposed/