PPP FOR EXPRESSWAY. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia offers to take over the completion of the Metro Cebu Expressway project and open it through a public-private partnership, an official of the Regional Development Council-Central Visayas bares Tuesday (March 19, 2024). The completion of the 73.7-kilometer alternate route for motorists who want to escape the congested roads in Metro Cebu is stalled due to environmental and construction challenges faced by its implementing agency, the Department of Public Works and Highways. (Photo courtesy of Cebu Capitol PIO)
CEBU CITY – The move to finish the Metro Cebu Expressway through the public-private partnership (PPP) will help address the delay in its completion due to budgetary challenges, an official said on Tuesday.
Kenneth Cobonpue, co-chair of the Regional Development Council-Central Visayas, said he supports the idea of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to have the expressway project with an alignment traversing from Naga City in the southern Cebu to Danao City in the north through partnership with the private sector.
“The strong will and determination of the governor will ensure that this long overdue project (will be) completed for the benefit of all the Cebuanos,” Cobonpue told the Philippine News Agency.
Cobonpue, an internationally renowned designer, said the 73.7-kilometer expressway is designed to provide an alternative highway to decongest roads in highly urbanized cities’ major thoroughfares.
However, the project encountered environmental and construction challenges under the management of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Central Visayas.
Cobonpue said the recent setback in Naga City further underscored the urgency for a strategic intervention by the province of Cebu to salvage the project’s momentum.
Garcia offered to the DPWH to allow the provincial government to take over the Metro Cebu Expressway construction project and implement it through PPP.
The governor cited existing joint ventures with Filinvest Land and Manila Water while it is set to sign a joint venture agreement with Spain-based Acciona Energia Global to build a 150-megawatt solar plant in Daanbantayan, north of Cebu.
With an indicative cost of PHP94 billion, the proposed expressway is composed of four segments but 4.2-kilometer Segment 3 from Naga City to Minglanilla is ongoing, while the rest of the segments are yet to proceed and open for PPP arrangements. (PNA)
