Firm vows to soon finish repair of Alabang viaduct
By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:17:00 05/17/2008
MANILA, Philippines—South Luzon Tollway Corp., which is rehabilitating the South Luzon Expressway from Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila to Calamba City in Laguna province, has committed to open the southbound portion of the Alabang viaduct by June and the whole stretch by the end of the year.
Company president Isaac David personally made the commitment during a site visit Friday of the government’s Project Performance System team led by Secretary Cerge Remonde.
David said work was proceeding around the clock to make sure that partial opening of the viaduct would be done by June.
He said the contractor FF Cruz Inc. was using a new cement technology and pre-cast side rails for quick installation.
The whole viaduct should be completely rehabilitated by end-December, to be followed by the South Luzon Expressway stretch to Calamba by end-2009.
“So far we have completed almost 50 percent of the work,” David said.
Dato’ Azmil Khalid, managing director of Malaysian toll operator MTD Group, a partner in South Luzon Tollway, said during the program that South Luzon Tollway would strive to deliver the project as early as March next year.
The rehabilitation of the expressway begins at the Alabang viaduct and ends at Calamba, spanning 29 kilometers.
The expressway carries 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles a day and 70 percent of exports and finished products between Manila and the Calabarzon area comprising the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon.
The expressway has yet to be turned over to the South Luzon Tollway, a joint venture between MTD Capital Berhad and state-run Philippine National Construction Corp.
It will be formally turned over to South Luzon Tollway when it has finished rehabilitating the roads in its concession area from Alabang to Calamba. Edited by INQUIRER.net
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