MNTC sets aside P2 B for SCTEX repair

Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC), a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., (MPIC) has set aside P2 billion for road repairs and installation of equipment to provide safety and security to motorists using the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

“After SCTEX has been turned over to us last year, we have slated several modernization works all aimed at making the SCTEX at par with the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway),” MNTC president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco said in a statement yesterday.

Part of the P2 billion investment is the recently completed integration of NLEX and SCTEX which amounted to P758 million to provide seamless travel to motorists through unified toll collection systems.

Also part of the investment is the repair of the pavement which includes asphalt overlay and road patching from this year until 2018 which costs P1 billion.

The road improvement is intended to make SCTEX’s pavement as smooth as that of the NLEX.

Apart from road repair, MNTC is also spending to put in place modern traffic and telecommunications systems worth P266 million.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and emergency call boxes are currently being installed along the expressway to ensure the security of motorists.

Through the roadside emergency call boxes, distressed motorists will be able to directly and quickly connect to the SCTEX traffic control room.

The CCTV cameras meanwhile, will enable real-time monitoring of the entire stretch of the expressway so the MNTC teams can quickly respond to motorists in need.

To further ensure the safety of motorists, MNTC is likewise spending P22 million for slope restoration along the expressway.

MNTC has also allotted P47 million for system and software, traffic devices and facility enhancements.

Additional restrooms will likewise be constructed at the SCTEX’s Clark North B and Clark South B exits, and toll booths in all toll plazas are also set to undergo rehabilitation as part of the aim to better serve motorists.

“Once these improvements are fully implemented, our motorists can surely expect a smoother and safer travel at SCTEX,” Franco said.

MPIC is the country’s largest toll operator as it holds 60 percent of the total 320 kms of toll roads.