A ₱23.36 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract has been signed between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) for the construction of 59.4-kilometer extension of Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) all the way to the surfing capital of the north in San Juan, La Union.
DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and SMHC Chairman and President Ramon S. Ang presented to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 the concession agreement, which was signed on July 3, 2024 at the DPWH Head Office in Port Area, Manila, and witnessed by DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and PPP Services Maria Catalina E. Cabral, and Mr. Raoul Eduardo Romulo of the project concessionaire SMC TPLEX Extension Infrastructure Corp. (STEIC) among others.
Also present in the event held at the Kalayaan Hall of Malacañang Palace are Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin; National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan; DPWH Undersecretaries Cabral, Eugenio R. Pipo Jr., Roberto R. Bernardo, Ador G. Canlas, and Carlos G. Mutuc; and DPWH Public-Private Partnership Service Director Pelita V. Galvez.
“With the signed PPP contract, the STEIC and DPWH can now proceed with detailed engineering design (DED), parcellary plan, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for all the segments, so that we can commence civil works by July 2025,” said Secretary Bonoan.
According to Secretary Bonoan, the TPLEX Extension Project will be divided in three (3) segments, with first segment aimed for completion before the end of President Marcos’ term in 2028.
Segment 1 will start from the last exit of TPLEX at Rosario and end in Tubao, which is an additional 18.5-kilometer of 4-lane road, while Segment 2 will cover the 23.1-kilometer section from Tubao to Naguilian; and Segment 3 which extends 17.8-kilometer from Naguilian to San Juan, La Union.
The TPLEX Extension will have five (5) interchanges namely Rosario, Tubao, Naguilian, Bauang, and San Juan.
When completed, the TPLEX Extension will reduce travel time from Rosario going to San Juan, La Union from the current one (1) and a half hour to just 40 minutes, further promoting investments and economic development up north.
