The Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has signed a Php23.36 billion public-private partnership (PPP) contract with San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC) for the construction of 59.4-km extension of Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) to San Juan, La Union.

With the signing of this contract, STEIC (SMC TPLEX Extension Infrastructure Corporation) and DPWH can now proceed with the detailed engineering design (DED), parcellary plan and right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for all the segments, so that civil works can commence by July 2025, said DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan.

The concession agreement was signed on 3 July 2024 and presented to the Philippines’ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on 10 July 2024. Earlier in June, DPWH declared SMHC as the winning private proponent for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the TPLEX Extension Project.

According to DPWH, the TPLEX Extension Project will be divided into three segments, with the first segment aimed for completion before the end of President Marcos’ term in 2028.

Segment 1 will start from the last exit of TPLEX in Rosario and end in Tubao, which is an additional 18.5 km of four-lane road; while Segment 2 will cover the 23.1-km section from Tubao to Naguilian. Segment 3 will span 17.8 km from Naguilian to San Juan, La Union.

The TPLEX Extension will have five interchanges namely Rosario, Tubao, Naguilian, Bauang and San Juan. When completed, it is expected to reduce travel time between Rosario and San Juan, La Union from the current 1.5 hours to just 40 minutes, further promoting investments and economic development up north.

Image: DPWH