RP starts road project

RP starts road project

MANILA (AFP): President Fidel Ramos yesterday launched a toll road project to link the capital with the former U.S. military bases at Clark and Subic Bay, which are being transformed into light industry enclaves.

The first phase of the expressway project, to be undertaken by state-controlled Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) and financed by the government's Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), involve the widening of an existing tollway and a toll interchange.

The twin public works would cost 450 million pesos (US$18.74 million) and be completed in 15 months, the project partners said in a statement.

BCDA is committed to investing 1.5 billion pesos ($62.5 million) for other sections of the expressway, which will feature extensive spurs linking Clark and Subic with Manila, it added.

These will be undertaken through joint venture arrangements or under build-operate-transfer schemes with private firms.