MANILA, Aug. 16 – Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar is confident that the traffic situation at the domestic and international airport complex in Pasay City will change with the opening of phase 2 of the NAIA Expressway Project, which connects Macapagal Boulevard to NAIA Terminals 1 and 2.
“We are in the process of doing safety checks. With the help of DOTC, we are confident that the public would soon be able to access a key phase of the NAIA Expressway Project within the first 100 days of President Rodrigo R. Duterte,” Villar said.
“Passenger traffic at NAIA has an average annual growth rate of 9.5%. The cost of congestion per day in Metro Manila is 2.4 Billion pesos. We are keen in ensuring that the chronic traffic congestion at the vicinity of the airport is solved almost immediately,” he added.
To date, overall progress of civil works activities is about 79 percent with the Paranaque River alignment already 100 percent completed.
The NAIA Expressway Project, which costs P17.9 Billion, is a four (4) lane, 7.75-kilometer elevated expressway and 2.22 kilometer at-grade road project which would traverse Sales Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Paranaque River, MIAA Road and Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.
When all phases are completed, the NAIA Expressway Project is expected to provide easy access to and from NAIA Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 and would interface with the South Luzon Expressway thru Sales Interchange, Manila Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX), and Macapagal Boulevard.
A total of 16 Off and On Ramps are being constructed along strategic locations at Villamor Airbase, Resorts World, NAIA Terminal 3, MIAA Road, Imelda Avenue, CAVITEX, Seaside Drive and Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.
NAIA Expressway will significantly reduce average travel time between Skyway/SLEX and NAIA Terminal 1 from approximately 24.3 minutes to 8.2 minutes and will benefit 80,000 travelers per day.
The project was awarded to conglomerate San Miguel Corporation through its subsidiary and concession firm Vertex Tollways Development Inc. with civil works contractor D.M. Consunji, Inc. in partnership with Design Science Inc. and Pertconsult International. (DPWH)