SMC’s ₱95-B Pasig River Expressway get government nod

San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) proposed ₱95-billion Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project – a 19.37-km, six-lane elevated road that will run along the banks of the Pasig River – has been approved by government.

PAREX will start from Radial Road 10 in Manila to C-6 road, also known as the South East Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) in Taguig.

PAREX will be the first privately-funded road network in the country that combines sustainability features with the functionality of a safe and efficient transport infrastructure.

SMC President Ramon S. Ang said, “This will be an inclusive, user-centered infrastructure that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars. It will have dedicated bike lanes, walkways, a bus rapid transit system, among others.”

He added that, with the company’s ₱2-billion Pasig River rehabilitation initiative, it hopes to expand water transport through ferry boats, linking people to cities along the waterfronts of Metro Manila –Laguna Lake, Pasig River, Manila Bay, Marikina River, among others.

Ang said SMC will tap the firm of Arch. Felino Palafox Jr., internationally-renowned architect, environment planner, and green urbanism advocate who has decades of experience in planning more than 1,700 projects in 45 countries.

Ang said, “PAREX will also be for pedestrians and cyclists. It will not just be for motorized transportation and convenience, but also for maintaining our health and well-being. It will not just ‘beautify’ the surroundings – it will rehabilitate the Pasig River and inspire urban renewal in Metro Manila.”

The PAREX will have three major segments –Segment 1 is from R-10 to Plaza Azul, Manila; Segment 2 from Pandacan to C-5, and Segment 3 from C-5 to C6. PAREX will also connect to, and utilize a 2.7-km. portion of the new Skyway Stage 3 from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.

Ang said PAREX will complete the north-south-east-west expressway connectivity. With the opening of the Skyway 3 earlier this year, the Skyway system now serves as the seamless link between north and south Metro Manila.

PAREX will serve as the east-west connection, linking up with Skyway 3 and SEMME making virtually every major city in Metro Manila accessible via expressway.

SMC will fully shoulder the ₱95-billion cost to build PAREX, with no taxpayer or government money used.