SMC unit breaks ground for C-6 Phase I
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) unit Citra Intercity Tollways Corp. broke ground yesterday for the first phase of the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) or Metro Manila C-6 Road Expressway which will link the Skyway Stage 1 in the Food Terminal Inc. Complex in Taguig to Batasan complex in Quezon City.
The project is estimated to cost P45 billion and seen to cut travel time between Taguig City and the Batasan Complex in Quezon City to only 35 minutes.
Norberto Conti, head of technical, infrastructure at SMC said during the groundbreaking ceremony that while the firm is set to start actual construction for the first phase of the project in April, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pushing for it to begin works earlier than schedule.
“According to our plan, we wish to start by April, but Secretary Tugade is pushing us to start earlier than April,” he said.
The South East Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME), or first phase of the
Metro Manila C-6 Road Expressway, is a 34-kilometer, six-lane, combined elevated and at-grade expressway with two directional traffic flow.
It will start in the south with a connection to the existing Skyway Stage 1 in FTI, Taguig City, and would end in Batasan Complex in Quezon City.
The segment will eventually be connected to the North Luzon Expressway via Balagtas.
Section 1 of the first phase will cover the 4.049-km stretch from Skyway/FTI to C-5 Diego Silang. It is targeted to be completed in 2020.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the project is expected to be beneficial not just in terms of promoting mobility and connectivity, but also in helping create job opportunities.
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the project would help address the country’s traffic problem.