Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is seeking to build a mass rail system and expressways to complement its massive Bulacan airport project.

In a statement over the weekend, the Ang-led group reiterated the plan to equip the planned air hub with rail and road networks necessary to support the expected volume of flyers once the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan becomes operational.

Aside from establishing an eight-kilometer airport toll road that will link the P740-billion gateway to the North Luzon Expressway and connect it to the 18-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 going to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), SMC also bared its proposals to build several road expressway projects.

They are NMIA Airport Expressway, Integrated Airport Toll Expressway Network-Northern Access Link, Integrated Airport Toll Expressway Network-Southern Access Link, Integrated Airport Toll Expressway Network-Central Access Link, East Metro Manila Expressway, Northeast Airport Expressway, Calamba-San Pedro Expressway, Bulacan-Tarlac Expressway (BTEX), Bataan-Bulacan Expressway (BBEX), Skyway Stage 3-R10 NMIA Expressway, Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) Road, and NMIA Expressway MRT-7 (Road Spur Access).

SMC also readied proposals for the following rail systems: MRT-7 Katipunan Spur, MRT-7 Airport Expressway-North Line, MRT-7 Airport Expressway-West Line, MRT-7 Extension Project, and MRT-7 Airport Expressway Southeast Line.

“These projects make up the massive infrastructure network that will not only make the airport easily accessible from Metro Manila and various points of Luzon, but will also further unlock the economic potential of so many of our provinces,” Ramon S. Ang, SMC president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

These proposed rail and road networks that will form part of a seamless transport system will allow the province to accommodate the millions of passengers who will enter the country through the Bulacan airport every year. It will also allow the smooth delivery of goods and services, particularly coming from the Bulacan Airport City Economic Zone that is expected to attract business locators and provide employment to local residents,” he added.

The NMIA is designed to accommodate up to 100 million flyers per year as SMC plans to equip the airport with four runways, eight taxiways, and three passenger terminals. Depending on the market forces, two additional runways may also be established to handle up to 200 million passengers, the conglomerate earlier said.

In October, SMC said the groundbreaking for the airport project may happen “by the end of the year.”

Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/11/16/business/companies/smc-eyes-road-rail-projects-to-complement-bulacan-airport/797203/