The newest infrastructure project just got government approval.
The Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) was proposed more than a year ago by San Miguel Corporation (SMC). It’s expected to run 19.37 kilometers along the Pasig River and will reportedly cut traffic time between Manila and Rizal from two hours to 15 minutes.
“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,” SMC President Ramon Ang said in a statement. “This will be an inclusive, user-centered infrastructure that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars.”
By 2027, citizens in Metro Manila will be able to utilize an elevated six-lane road that runs along the Radial Road 10 in Manila to C-6 Road, also known as the future South East Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) in Taguig City. The PHP95 billion project will also have entry and exit points in the university belt area in Manila, San Juan City, Buendia Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Makati City, Rockwell, EDSA, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and C-5 Avenue in Taguig City, as well as a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, jogging paths, and a water ferry system.
SMC has employed the services of architect and environmental planner Jun Palafox, Jr. (who is also responsible for the innovative Bulacan airport city) to create a sustainable design for the project.
“Together with Palafox and Associates, we will build what will be the country’s first sustainable infrastructure, one that will not just be ‘green’, but will have multiple uses and direct environmental, social, and economic benefits to Filipinos,” Ang said.
Unlike other major road projects that serve as bridges between the north and south, the Pasig River Expressway seeks to connect the east and west, a move that the Department of Transportation says will help decongest the traffic in Metro Manila.
Art Daniella Sison
