San Miguel gets green light for Pasig River Expressway Project

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) announced that the 19.37-km, six-lane elevated Pasig River Expressway Project (PAREX) has now been approved by the government.

PAREX is now officially approved

Present in the signing of the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) are Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Alvin Carullo, and SMC President Ramon S. Ang.

The PAREX will be the first privately-funded road network in the country with an estimated project cost of Php 95 billion. What makes it even more special is that SMC will integrate various modes of transportation within the highway.

Aside from decongesting traffic, the road project also aims to reduce carbon emissions

In particular, the expressway project will be built with dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and a bus rapid transit system, among others. This is part of the company’s sustainability goals as it encourages the use of other transport modes besides vehicles running on internal combustion engines.

Here is the list of the three major segments under the PAREX:

• Segment 1: from R-10 to Plaza Azul, Manila
• Segment 2: from Pandacan to C-5
• Segment 3: from C-5 to C-6

Two SMC projects will go hand-in-hand with the PAREX, namely the Php 2-billion Pasig River cleanup operation and the Skyway Stage 3. The PAREX is said to rehabilitate the Pasig River, inspiring renewal in Metro Manila which was once considered as the top plastic polluter in the world.

On the other hand, PAREX will fulfill SMC’s long-envisioned north-south-east-west expressway connectivity as it will be connected to the Skyway Stage 3. It will utilize a 2.7-km portion of the Skyway Stage 3 from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.

This will change traffic conditions in Metro Manila

Based on previous reports, the PAREX will be completed by 2023. The expressway project aims to decongest heavy traffic along Rizal, Cainta, and Marikina. Also, it will provide alternative routes to Makati, Ortigas, and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig.

“We can anticipate a future where perhaps many vehicles are electric. But regardless of what vehicles run on, expressways can adapt and serve their purpose of decongesting traffic, and making private and public transport more efficient,” said SMC President Ramon Ang.

“Combined with other ongoing road and rail projects, PAREX will enable us to keep up with the demands of economic development, population growth, and the need to protect the environment,” added Ang.

Check out the latest mobility news at Philkotse.com.