Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway groundbreaking

PGMA leads TPLEX groundbreaking

Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will spearhead the groundbreaking ceremony of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Project today at Barangay Subusub, Rosario, La Union which will signal the boosting of economic growth and countryside development in the northern corridor.

According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Romeo S. Momo, the TPLEX is an 88.58 km. 4-lane high speed toll expressway which is a four (4) year in the making project.

It is divided into two (2) phases, to wit: Phase 1 is the construction of 2-lanes and Phase 2 is expansion into 4-lanes when capacity reaches 25,000 vehicles per day.

"The TPLEX project for its initial 2-lanes has an Php 11.594 billion total base cost (2007 prices) composed of Civil Works (Php 9.601 million), Engineering (Php 0.768 million), Project Management (Php 0.192 million, Contingencies (Php 0.240 million) and Right of Way (ROW) acquisition (Php 0.793 million)," Momo added.

The DPWH will provide support in the form of actual acquisition and funding of ROW in the amount of Php 793 million and cash subsidy of Php 2.907 billion starting 2011 and as of January 4, this year, a total amount of Php 438 million for the ROW acquisition was already released.

ROW acquisition from Tarlac City to Rosales, Pangasinan (Segment 1, -48.70 km) is on-going.

"The project route alignment starts at the terminus of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway Project in La Paz, Tarlac and traverses through the municipalities of Tarlac, Gerona, Paniqui and Moncada, all in the province of Tarlac and the municipalities of Carmern, Urdaneta, Villasis and Sison in Pangasinan province which will end up at the intersection of Rosario-Pugo road in Rosario, La Union," Momo added.

Project components of the 2-lane includes eight (8) interchanges located at Victoria, Gerona, Paniqui, Moncada, Carmer, Urdaneta, Pozzorubio and Rosario with nine (9) toll plazas and two (2) operation center buildings situated at the Carmen Interchange and other Sub-Centers at selected interchange sites.

TPLEX will have 11 waterway bridges, two (2) viaducts, 66 underpasses/1 overpass and tollway facilities to include toll equipments, rest areas, administrative buildings and maintenance depot.

Through public bidding, the government represented by the DPWH has awarded the contract which is inclusive of design, construction, financing operation and maintenance of the concession to Private Infrastructure Development Corporation (PIDC) on a Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) scheme.

PIDC is a consortium of 10 Filipino private contractors namely D.M. Consunji, Inc.; First Balfour, Inc.; D.M. Wenceslao & Associates, Inc.; C.M. Pancho Construction, Inc.; RD. Policarpio & Co., Inc.; J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation; J.E. Manalo & Co., Inc. New Kanlaon Construction, Inc.; EEI Corporation; and Rockford Development Corporation and San Miguel Corporation/Rapid Thoroughfares, Inc.

The design consultant is Filipinas Dravo Corporation (FDC), a leading design and engineering consulting firm based in the Philippines while the supervision consultancy will be provided by a top Filipino consultancy firm, the DCCD Engineering Corporation.

The designated tollway operator/advisor is Tollways Management Corporation (TMC).

DCCD Associate and Deputy Project Manager of the TPLEX Melchor P. Sirilan said that the project will reduce travel time from Manila to Baguio from 6 to 3 hours with a safe speed of 80 kph, enhance super regions competitive advantage, stimulate economic growth and development and provide faster and effective access for agricultural products from the north to the major population centers in Luzon.

"The TPLEX will commence before the end of this year and the start of the partial operations will be on March 2012 for the Tarlac-Carmen section, April 2012 for the Carmern-Urdaneta section, and October 2014 for the Urdaneta-Rosario section," Sirilan concluded.

After the groundbreaking, the President will award the Project ICC to Samson C. Lazo, President of the PIDC. By Jennilyne C. Role - PIA