ILOILO – A “game-changer” was how Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. described the proposed Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway (ICAEx).
ICAEx is proposed to be a full-access controlled toll expressway with four lanes composed of elevated roadways, viaducts, a tunnel, and a long-span bridge.
It has an estimated length of 210 kilometers, traversing 20 municipalities along three provinces (Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan).
According to Defensor, ICAEx will make travel between the three provinces faster and more convenient.
For Iloilo province, he said, ICAEx will play a big role in the “MoReProGRes” (Movement for Resurgent, Progressive, Globally Competitive and Resilient) direction of his administration for 2022-2025.
“This is a game changer. Tanan nga plano naton under MoReProGRes, this is the new centerpiece of our aggressive direction in the development of the province,” said Defensor.
ICAEx will start in Barangay M.V. Hechanova in Leganes, Iloilo which is strategically located near the approach of the proposed Panay-Guimaras Bridge, a component of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Project.
The expressway will end in Malay, Aklan which is the gateway to the world-renowned Boracay Island.
“We are very thankful to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. nga ara ina sia sa priority. This is a game-changer,” said Defensor.
ICAEx has the following project objectives:
* reduce travel time between the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan
* eliminate congestion in existing highways by avoiding choke points in poblacion areas
* enhance logistics network to ease delivery of goods from source to destination
* improve delivery of emergency response in times of flooding as an effect of inclement weather
* provide tourism development opportunities for various tourist attractions in Panay.
On Aug. 24, officials of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Service of the Department of Public Works and Highways led by Director Alex Bote presented the proposed ICAEx to Defensor.
Bote said the project is included in the list of priority projects proposed for implementation through PPP in accordance with Republic Act No. 7718 (Build-Operate-and-Transfer [BOT] Law).
At present, Bote said, they are finalizing the Terms of Reference (TOR) and Estimated Budget for the Contract (EBC) of the project.
Based on the timeline, it will take two years before the project could begin granting that an investor or concessionaire takes the project./PN
