MANILA - After completing the Skyway Stage 3, San Miguel Corp. announced that it will begin building the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) in February.

During the opening ceremonies of Skyway 3 on Thursday which was attended by President Rodrigo Duterte, San Miguel president and COO Ramon Ang said the company was ready to work on the new toll road which aims to reduce travel time between the Eastern and Western part of Metro Manila.

"Following your approval Mr. President, we will begin work next month [in] February on the East-West Highway, which is called the PAREX," Ang said.

PAREX will traverse the length of the Pasig River, starting at Radial Road 10 in Manila, and ends at Circumferential Road 6 in Taguig.

It is expected to cut travel time between the two areas to about 10 to 15 minutes from 2 hours at present.

Ang said the project will include a flood control component, as San Miguel will restore the depth of the river, which has become as shallow as 1 meter in some sections.

"[The PAREX] will be completed by 2023, and we will realize our vision of seamless linking of North-South, East-West of Metro Manila through multiple access points," Ang said.

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