Two more big-ticket transportation projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) program are inching closer to gaining final clearance.
This developed after the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) green lighted the two billion-peso projects, which are now up for final approval by the NEDA Board headed by President Benigno Aquino III.
The NEDA-ICC endorsed to the NEDA Board the P74.56- billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Development Project and P50.15-billion LRT Line 4 Project of the Department of Transportation and Communications.
The NAIA development project aims to transform the Philippines’ main gateway into a modern, world-class aviation facility.
The chosen private partner will take charge of upgrading existing NAIA terminals and conducting further developments meant to increase the airport’s capacity. The winning bidder will also operate and maintain both landside and airside aspects, except for air traffic services, to increase operational efficiency and improve service.
The LRT Line 4 Project, on the other hand, involves the finance, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of an 11-kilometer rail system that will run west from SM City Taytay to the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and EDSA. It covers the provision of railway infrastructure, stations, depots, rolling stock, signaling, electrification and communication, automated fare collection system, and other necessary machinery and equipment.
The LRT 4 undertaking is seen to solve congestion along the Ortigas Avenue corridor and improve transportation to western parts of Metro Manila. The proposed alignment covers six stations: Ortigas Ave. (Robinsons Galleria) transfer station with the MRT; Meralco Avenue; Rosario, Pasig; Bonifacio Avenue; Taytay Diversion Rd.; and North Manila Rd. (SM Taytay).
To date, the government has awarded 10 PPP projects costing around P189 billion, and these are the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, Southwest Terminal of the Integrated Transport System, LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Passenger Terminal Building, Automatic Fare Collection System, Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center, PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase I and II, NAIA Expressway Phase II Project, and Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road.
Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
