Skip to main content

Philippines to rethink Laguna Expressway highways work

The Philippines might separate a 47km six-lane road construction element from a complicated land reclamation and dike development contract recently shunned by preferred bidders. None of the three qualified bidders for the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike public-private partnership deal submitted final bids for the contract. There were concerns over the legality of reclaiming 700 ha of land and whether investors could make money from it.
May 3, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

The Philippines might separate a 47km six-lane road construction element from a complicated land reclamation and dike development contract recently shunned by preferred bidders.

None of the three qualified bidders for the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike public-private partnership deal submitted final bids for the contract. There were concerns over the legality of reclaiming 700 ha of land and whether investors could make money from it.

The pre-qualified consortia were Trident Infrastructure and Development consortium – consisting of SM Prime Holdings, Megaworld, Ayala Land and Aboitiz Equity Ventures - the Alloy-PAVI LLEDP Consortium and San Miguel Holdings

Work was to have included 700 ha of coastal reclamation of Laguna de Bay from Taguig in Metro Manila to Calamba and Los Baños in Laguna, as well as associated bridges, pumping stations and ancillary flood gates.

The expressway was to have coast around $860 million, according to some estimates. It was expected to reduce travel time between Metro Manila and Laguna from 90 minutes to 35 minutes, and ease traffic and mitigate flooding between Taguig and Los Baños.

Bidding had been delayed several times due to environmental concerns, including how the project might displace local fishing boats from their harbours and fishing grounds.

Leading the review of the unwanted contract is the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Business World On-Line quoted Andre Palacios, executive director of the Public-Private-Partnership Center, saying the government department is rethinking which components of the discredited contract might go together. There is a possibility that the road work is hived off.

Related Content

  • Fehmarn Belt Tunnel opening set for mid-2029
    August 16, 2024
    Around 1,500 tonnes of reinforcement for casting the concrete tunnel elements are produced weekly for the 17.6km Fehmarn Belt Tunnel that will connect the Danish island of Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn.
  • Paraguay in talks to salvage tender for works on Routes 2 and 7
    May 10, 2016
    Paraguay is in discussions with six out of 11 prequalified consortia after none of the 11 submitted bids for a major highway development. The Public Works and Communications Ministry is making efforts to put back on track a public-private partnership to widen routes 2 and 7. Media reports said consortia were supposed to present their bids on 28 April. But with no bids submitted by that date, the government set a new date of 29 June. The whole project will require US$754 million, including $80 milli
  • Philippines highway project gets go ahead
    October 1, 2021
    A major highway project for the Philippines is getting the go ahead.
  • Key Philippines highway projects commencing
    November 28, 2016
    Two major highway projects are now moving forward in the Philippines. One is for the development of a highway stretch to connect the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway. The other is for a new coastal road stretch close to Davao City. The US$485million North Luzon Expressway to South Luzon Expressway highway connection is being handled under a 35 year concession package. Metro Pacific Tollways (MPT) is investing $332 million in the project, which is being handled under the build-operate-tra