The Manila city government supports the proposed flyover that will link Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) directly to Road 10, according to an official of port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI).
“Yung konsepto [The concept], he supports,” ICTSI senior vice president and global corporate head Christian R. Gonzalez told PortCalls in a recent chance interview.
In a meeting with truckers on August 12, Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso mentioned that he had approved a proposal by ICTSI to build an overpass linking MICT to Road 10, allowing trucks to go in and out of the port without traversing Parola and other small streets.
But Gonzalez said that while the Manila City government supports the project, ICTSI still has to work with the Philippine Ports Authority and Department of Public Works and Highways to make sure the proposed flyover is aligned with other road infrastructure projects in the works, such as the Harbor Link, and “make sure we’re not wasting our efforts.”
Gonzalez said there are no timelines yet, as ICTSI continues to do planning with the involved agencies.
He said that if needed, ICTSI will finance the project, which in 2017 he said would cost “a few billions.”
Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines chairman Ruperto Bayocot earlier said the flyover would be a “good solution” and a big help to truckers.
ICTSI has also improved the access road to the port. Last year, ICTSI started its US$80 million capacity-improvement project inside MICT in anticipation of increased demand and productivity requirements over the long term.
For the initial phase, ICTSI is building Berths 7 and 8 to accommodate the additional volumes that larger ships are expected to bring to the port.
A back-up area will also be constructed for future Berths 9 and 10, the planned expansion seen to provide the terminal the flexibility to deal with weather-related issues and changes in the regulatory environment.
These infrastructure improvements will be complemented by additional port equipment, which include the recently delivered pair of neo-Panamax quay cranes, two super post-Panamax quay cranes, and 16 hybrid rubber-tired gantries (RTGs). A super post-Panamax quay crane has also been delivered, while eight additional hybrid RTGs and a super post-Panamax quay crane are scheduled for delivery by the third quarter of 2019. – Roumina Pablo
