San Miguel Corp. (SMC), which leads the new consortium that will soon take over the operations and maintenance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), is set to start building a direct off-ramp to seamlessly connect the NAIA Expressway (NAIAX) and Terminal 3 (T3).

SMC president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang said on Monday that the plan, which could entail an investment of up to P5 billion, has already gained the support of the local government of Pasay and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), as well as utility providers.

“The off-ramp from NAIAX to Terminal 3, I think will cost between P3 to 5 billion,” Ang said during a media roundtable discussion.

Ang said the project construction is slated to begin “immediately” and is expected to be completed “within one year.”

Convenience enhanced

The primary objective of this project is to substantially enhance the convenience of passengers and simultaneously alleviate traffic congestion within the surrounding area.

However, he noted that the actual project cost is contingent upon the necessity for underground construction for the ramp, as such construction would result in higher expenses.

SMC leads the New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), which will operate, maintain and rehabilitate NAIA. Depending on its performance, it can extend the 15-year deal for another 10 years.

The consortium will rehabilitate and upgrade the passenger terminals, commercial assets, and surface access facilities, and modernize the communications, navigation, and surveillance systems of the airport.

Once these are realized, the overall passenger experience in the NAIA is expected to improve, while the annual passenger capacity of NAIA is likely to expand by at least 62 million from the current 32 million.