By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
San Miguel Corporation has unveiled major rail and road network projects it will incorporate into its P740-B airport project in Bulacan to provide seamless travel around the country and help decongest EDSA.
“These projects make up the massive infrastructure network that will not only make the airport easily accessible from Metro Manila and various points of Luzon, but will also further unlock the economic potential of so many of our provinces. Taken together with the airport, travel and trade in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and outside the country will be easier and more efficient. This is part of our commitment to invest more in our country and help our government and our people build back better,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang, said.
SMC also thanked the local government units of Bulacan for their full support and for aligning with the company’s future infrastructure projects to complement the airport transport system.
“We’re happy that the local government leaders also share our vision for the development of Bulacan through this airport. With the LGUs agreeing to align their own road network projects to those that will be built by San Miguel, we can significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve the transport system in the province,” Ang said.
SMC’s airport development plan includes an 8-kilometer airport toll road that will connect the airport to the North Luzon Expressway and link it to the recently-completed 18-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 going to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
In a recent meeting with LGUs in Bulacan, SMC also presented several proposed road expressway projects that include the NMIA Airport Expressway, Integrated Airport Toll Expressway Network-Northern Access Link, Integrated Airport Toll Expressway Network-Southern Access Link, Integrated Airport Toll Expressway Network- Central Access Link, East Metro Manila Expressway, Northeast Airport Expressway, Calamba-San Pedro Expressway, Bulacan-Tarlac Expressway (BTEX), Bataan-Bulacan Expressway (BBEX), Skyway Stage 3-R10 NMIA Expressway, MRT 7 Road, and NMIA Expressway MRT 7 (Road Spur Access).
Proposed railway transport modes are the MRT7 Katipunan Spur, MRT7 Airport Expressway-North Line, MRT7 Airport Expressway-West Line, MRT7 Extension Project, and MRT7 Airport Expressway Southeast Line, all of which have been granted “Original Proponent Status”.
“These proposed rail and road networks that will form part of a seamless transport system will allow the province to accommodate the millions of passengers who will enter the country through the Bulacan airport every year. It will also allow the smooth delivery of goods and services, particularly coming from the Bulacan Airport City Economic Zone that is expected to attract business locators and provide employment to local residents,” he said.