By Fredmoore Cavan CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing to secure a landmark deal with t...
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing to secure a landmark deal with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance the phase one construction works of the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN) project.
“With 85.1% of the detailed engineering design (DED) for LLRN already complete, DPWH has started negotiations to gather support from possible financing institutions crucial in the realization of this flagship infrastructure project,” DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said.
Bonoan said DPWH officials, led by Senior Undersecretary and LLRN Team Head Emil K. Sadain, met with the ADB recently for a reconnaissance mission workshop where they presented the strategic plans and assessment for the 37.4-kilometer road network.
The LLRN is among the 194 “high-impact and urgently needed infrastructure projects” approved by the NEDA Board on March 9.
In a press statement, Bonoan said the meeting is instrumental in the proposed financial support processing and approval.
“The reconnaissance mission was the right venue to layout the groundworks in preparation for the fact-finding mission, which is an important milestone in the processing and approval of the proposed financing for LLRN,” Bonoad explained.
He added that DPWH and ADB officials discussed funding schemes and loan application process, construction method, preparation of the resettlement plan, gender action plan, and environmental impact assessment of the proposed project.
“With the assistance of the experts from ADB and in collaboration with the consultants, we will be able to analyze possible construction and implementation issues, possible project concerns, and plan way ahead the solutions and mitigation measures,” the DPWH Secretary added.
LLRN-Phase 1
The Laguna Lakeshore Road Network-Phase 1 involves the construction of a 21.5-kilometer viaduct and a 15.9-kilometer embankment along the west shoreline of Laguna Lake, starting from Barangay Lower Bicutan in Taguig to Calamba City in Laguna.
According to DPWH, it will also cover the construction of eight interchanges proposed to connect municipal boundaries to the nearest public road along Lower Bicutan, Sucat, Alabang, Tunasan, San Pedro/Biñan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, and Calamba, for a total project cost of P175.3-billion.
The proposed third highway going south is expected to ease the traffic congestion, especially during rush hour at the Manila South Road and South Luzon Expressway to support the economic development and growth potential of the provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, and Rizal in the Southern Tagalog Region.
The DPWH is proposing a multi-tranche financing facility for LLRN Phase 1 civil works, in which the budget for the whole project will be made in three tranches.
Meanwhile, the feasibility study for LLRN Phase 2 in the northern to southern coastline via an eastern route is almost complete and the detailed engineering design will be included in the civil works loan for LLRN Phase 1, DPWH added. (FSC with reports from DPWH)
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