A new 37.5km expressway project costing nearly US$2.8 billion is planned for the Philippines. Funding for much of the project is being provided in a $1.7 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This will help pay for work to nearly 30km of the route. A $904 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea will pay for the northern stretch of the road. A further $188 million loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will pay for the remainder of the project.
Called the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN), the project is expected to deliver a new route running alongside Laguna Lake, the largest lake in the Philippines. The new route will be designed to be climate resilient, with two lanes in either direction for much of the length but three lanes in either direction for a 12km section expected to carry the most traffic. The new expressway will feature nine interchanges located at Binangonan, Morong, Tanay, Pililla North, Pililla South, Jala-Jala, Santa Cruz, Victoria/Calauan, and Los Baños.
Construction of this new expressway will cut journey times between Calamba and Taguig City, to the south of capital Manila. The new expressway will feature several viaducts and bridges crossing waterways that link to Laguna Lake. Facilities for cyclists and pedestrians will be included. However, there are some environmental concerns over the project, particularly as the work will entail some dredging to parts of the lake. Part of the ADB will be targeted towards environmental mitigation.
