P734-B Bulacan airport construction all set

Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is set to officially start the construction of the P734-billion Bulacan airport project, touted as the largest airport deal of the Duterte administration, in October.

Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran last week told reporters that the SMC will break ground for the project after the so-called “ghost month.” This year, ghost month runs from 19 August to 16 September.

Dubbed as the New Manila International Airport, the SMC has started the geotechnical investigation and engineering surveys of the project since early May.

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez told the Daily Tribune that the survey was almost complete; SMC is only awaiting results and interpretations from Singapore-based firms tapped for the works.

The site survey and relocation will help proponents finalize the earthwork and foundation design for the project and execute necessary earthwork repairs.

Transportation chief Arthur Tugade, in a recent Malacañang briefing, said the project is not likely to face a “critical delay” even as the progress was “slow.”

It should be noted that SMC did not proceed with the groundbreaking scheduled either in early January due to “private issues” of President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang and the blanket impact of coronavirus pandemic.

SMC received the notice to proceed for the Bulacan International Airport unsolicited proposal in September last year.

The airport will be built in a 2,400-hectare property in Bulakan, Bulacan. It will have four runways, eight taxiways and three passenger terminals and provisions for future expansion to sport six runways and accommodate 200 million passengers per year.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank previously tagged the project as among the “five airport megaprojects” around the world.

source: tribune.net.ph