SMC inks deal to build Pangasinan toll road

VITAL LINK Ramon Ang (right), president and CEO of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), signs the joint venture agreement and toll concession agreement with Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico III for the Pangasinan Link Expressway, a 76.8-kilometer expressway linking the western corridor of the province to its eastern side. —PHOTO FROM SMC

MANILA  -San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is set to build a 76.8-kilometer tollway linking Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) exit in Binalonan all the way up to Alaminos, which is expected to boost road mobility and economic activities in central and northern parts of Luzon.

Earlier this week, the Ramon Ang-led conglomerate signed a toll concession and joint venture agreement for the Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEx) project with the local government of Pangasinan.

The first phase of the project that is expected to cost P34.34 billion runs for 42.67 km and is divided into three segments.

These include the 6.9-km Binalonan-Manaoag portion, 11.3-km Manaoag-Calasiao junction and the 22.17-km Calasiao-Lingayen segment. A 2.39-km spur road will also be paved in Calasiao.

Next phase

The Binalonan-Lingayen link is designed to reduce travel time between municipalities to as little as half an hour from the current 1.5 hours to nearly 2 hours.

The second phase, which is a demand-driven expansion, will connect the tollway to Alaminos.

“[PLEx] is envisioned to reinvent the transportation and enrich the tourism landscape; prioritize accessibility of citizens to major towns and cities, magnify business and livelihood opportunities, multiply economic activity, build more infrastructure and protect the environment,” Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico III said.

“More than just building a major infrastructure project, we have an opportunity to improve the lives of so many of our countrymen here,” Ang added.

SMC will foot the construction cost of the project.

More toll roads

The signing of the agreement came about two months after SMC inked a pact with Metro Pacific Tollways (MPTC) to design, build and operate the 88-kilometer Cavite-Batangas Expressway (CBEx) and Nasugbu-Bauan Expressway (NBEX).

READ: RSA, MVP seal Cavite-Batangas highway deals

The P72-billion project will traverse Silang, Amadeo, Tagaytay, Indang, Mendez and Alfonso in Cavite and will link motorists to Nasugbu and Bauan, Batangas.

The plan is to establish the 27.06-km CBEx, which will link MPTC’s Cavite-Laguna Expressway Silang (Aguinaldo) interchange to Nasugbu while the 60.90-km NBEx will provide connection to Bauan.

Groundbreaking ceremony is slated for next year.

Apart from TPLEx, SMC also holds concessions for South Luzon Expressway, Skyway, Naia Expressway and Star Tollway.