THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now finalizing the contract guidelines for the proposed Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan toll road project that will be implemented through public-private partnership, according to the Iloilo provincial government.
In a project presentation to provincial officials on Wednesday, DPWH-PPP Service Director Alex G. Bote said they are working to complete the terms of reference as well as the estimated budget for the expressway.
“Based on the timeline, it will take two years before the project could begin granting that an investor or concessionaire takes the project,” the Iloilo provincial government said in a statement.
Mr. Bote said the Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway Project (ICAEx) is included in the administration’s PPP priority list.
ICAEx will traverse Panay Island, located in the west-central part of the Philippines. It will be a 210-kilometer, four-lane toll road composed of elevated roadways, viaducts, a tunnel, and a long-span bridge.
“Based on the initial information, the ICAEx will start at Barangay M.V. Hechanova in Leganes which is strategically located near the approach of the proposed Panay-Guimaras Bridge, a component of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Project,” the provincial government said.
The northern end of the expressway is in Malay, the jump-off point to popular tourist island Boracay.
Mr. Bote said the ICAEx will reduce travel time across Panay, boosting tourism, cargo logistics as well as emergency response operations.
Iloilo Gov. Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. expressed full support to the project’s implementation, which he said will enhance the economy of Iloilo as well as the entire Panay Island. — MSJ