QuBEx Act approved; bidding ongoing
With the approval of the proposed Quezon-Bicol Expressway (QuBEx) Act, shorter time of travel from the Northern part of Luzon to the provinces of Quezon and Bicol Region is expected.
Last April 2016’s approval of the House Bill no. 6475 pertaining to the QuBEx Act is currently for business case study as of July 11, 2016, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) so there had been no move of construction yet.
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is preparing TOR, ABC, and other bid documents prior to the construction of the roads. Hence, heads of the project are still in the process of determining the budget or fund to be used.
The project will be financed, constructed and maintained by a grantee, consortium, and a private proponent under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law.
Project’s Phases
There are two phases of the QuBEx; Phase one of the projects will be starting about two kilometers from the end of the also proposed TR-4 and will end before the proposed Camarines Sur Expressway.
It is expected that the length of the project is approximately 180 kilometers which is an avenue for shorter travel from Quezon and the provinces in Bicol.
Phase two includes the project which was endorsed by the provincial government of Camarines Sur.
The Camarines Sur Expressway project is considered by the PPP Projects as a national government priority project.
Construction of this project will start from San Fernando, Camarines Sur and will end at Pili with length of 16 km.
QuBEx as a step to progress
Not only will the project provide a fast and developed alternative route for commuters to use but also a safer way. Instead of taking the usual curvy or zigzag road passing through the mountainside of Lucena, taking QuBEx when going South is a good choice, according to its project objectives.
Trade of goods and services delivered by trucks from both Southern and Northern part of Luzon will be much easier and will lead to economic growth and progress.
Rep. Scott Davies S. Lanete from the district of Masbate said in his statement that some of the region’s tourist destinations that have been stagnant are under-appreciated by tourists due to difficulty of access.
He believed that through the development of this road or highway it will not only open opportunities for Tourism but also in terms of commerce.
Department of Public Works and Highways classified this project as “Project of National Significance” due to its function to connect both provinces in Luzon. -Oragon Digest
