SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna - “The project is complete,” said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on its website report. The project is the toll plaza that gives north-bound access to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) from this city.
This report is a big lie. The last time OpinYon Laguna checked on this project, what stands is a flat pavement area where a toll plaza should be and a road and bridge that ends hanging over a commercial lot.
The project’s status, ask a regular guy in the city, it is far from complete.
Work on toll plaza 2
Why the DPWH had to lie on this project is a mystery. But what is even more mysterious is the national and local governments are unable to make this project move to real completion.
And while this project hangs in limbo, residents of the city suffer from worsening road congestion, meaning heavy traffic, on roads leading to the expressway that finally brings San Pedrenses to the big city where majority in the city work.
Dream project
This north-bound toll plaza had been a dream project by several mayors in the city. It broke ground in 2018, under the administration of Mayor Lourdes “Baby” Cataquiz, after it got the blessings from the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).
The DPWH is working on this project given a budget of about P147 Million.
Conceived in the early 2000’s, other mayors before Cataquiz lobbied to have this started. It was the lady mayor who breathed hope on this project after succeeding in getting the TRB nod.
Toll plaza distribution along the SLEX is so uneven and unfair to San Pedro. Muntinlupa City has two complete toll plazas. Biñan City has three complete toll plazas. Santa Rosa City has two complete plazas and other cities have two. San Pedro has a half toll plaza, with access for south-bound traffic only.
This north-bound toll plaza would give San Pedro one complete toll plaza access to the SLEX.
This north-bound toll plaza operational, San Pedrenses would find convenience, safety and even more economical trips to Metro Manila.
But since the project has not moved, maybe because to the DPWH this project is “complete,” San Pedrenses are calling out to the national officials mandated to advance the city’s interests to take action.
Most in this city are working in Metro Manila. This access to SLEX is a big help to keep their sanity intact and their family economy afloat.
Work on toll plaza 1
More sad than funny
As of press time, OpinYon Laguna is seeking out officials from both the DPWH and the local government on San Pedro as to why this toll plaza has stalled so close to the finish line.
In the meantime, all we know about the toll plaza is encapsulated on a brief entry at the DPWH projects database: the project entitled “Ensure safe and reliable national road system network development program construction of flyovers / interchange / underpasses / long span bridges South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) northbound exit interchange, San Pedro City, Laguna” is deemed 100-percent “completed” as of December 31, 2020, when the contract between DPWH and the New Kanlaon Construction Corp. that built this project is supposed to be terminated.
What a laugh!
Yet for San Pedrenses who still have to endure heavy traffic on their way to their current access routes to Metro Manila every day, this revelation is more sad than funny.
And to think that this P147-million project would mean millions more in economic opportunities – opportunities that were lost to San Pedro City with each passing day that this toll plaza remains unfinished.
The DPWH prides itself as one of the prime government agencies jumpstarting the Philippines’ progress through building roads and bridges that will provide Filipinos with safe, comfortable travel and more opportunities for economic growth.
But many San Pedrenses now feel that the DPWH itself has become the biggest roadblock to their one dream project that would have meant easier access from their city to Metro Manila.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonLaguna #SanPedroLGU #DPWH