Toll road opening eases trip to Naia

NOWOPEN The first segment of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway is now open. It will link Terminals 1 and 2 in Parañaque City to Macapagal Boulevard and the Entertainment City in Pasay City. For the first month, motorists will not pay toll for using the expressway. RICHARD A. REYES

Access to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) just got a little easier.

Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) opened on Thursday the initial section of a toll road seeking to cut the notorious congestion around the Naia complex, the country’s busiest air gateway.

Starting on Thursday, motorists were allowed to use the portion of the Naia Expressway Project Phase 2 that links Terminals 1 and 2 to Macapagal Boulevard, which is near the Entertainment City casino complex.

The rest of the toll road, which extends further to Terminal 3, and Metro Manila Skyway and South Luzon Expressway, would be opened “before the Christmas season,” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a statement. SMC also operates the Skyway and SLEx.

The opening toll fee of P35 for light vehicles has been waived for the first month of operations. Also waived are the fee of P69 for larger Class 2 vehicles and P104 for Class 3 vehicles.

“Finally, our countrymen will feel the benefit of having faster and more direct access to Naia Terminals 1, 2 and 3. It will also go a long way in easing traffic congestion in surrounding cities, and support growth in southern Metro Manila,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang.

SMC estimated that more than 40,000 motorists would use the Naia Expressway Phase 2 daily.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the Naia Expressway Phase 2, once fully opened, would cut road congestion by over 60 percent.

PPP project

Before the expressway opening, average travel time between the Skyway and Naia Terminal 1 is 24 minutes, according to the DPWH. That would be cut to 8.2 minutes with Phase 2 of the airport expressway.

The project was among the public-private partnership (PPP) projects launched by the Aquino administration.

SMC, through Vertex Tollways Development Inc., won the P17.9-billion project in 2013 after its P11-billion bid bested the offer of sole rival Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

The conglomerate, which has been diversifying into infrastructure and power, will operate the expressway for 30 years.

In his statement, Ang asked for the public’s understanding, partly due to the added road congestion during the construction of the toll road.

The project was delayed by over a year, as the government dealt with massive right of way issues, including the relocation of various water pipes and power cables along the toll road’s alignment.

“The DPWH would ensure 24/7 operation in the last segment of Naia Expressway,” Villar said.

He added that the Duterte administration was conscious of delivering on its promise. “We will set deadlines and contractors would have to abide.”

Terminals 3 and 4

The Naia Expressway Project is a four-lane, 12.65-kilometer elevated expressway (including ramps) and 2.22-kilometer at-grade road traversing Sales Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Parañaque 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 Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 and will interface with the South Luzon Expressway through Sales Interchange, Manila Cavite Toll Expressway and Macapagal Boulevard.

A total of 16 off and on ramps are being built along strategic locations at Villamor Air Base, Resorts World, Terminal 3, MIAA Road, Imelda Avenue, Cavitex, Seaside Drive and Macapagal Boulevard.