CAVITE, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (Calabarzon) shippers will have faster access to Batangas Port in two months with the expected opening of an arterial road to the port, according to infrastructure monitoring task force director general Serge Remonde in a recent conference on airport infrastructure.
The opening of the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) by December will be further boosted by the December completion of the international container terminal or Phase II of the Batangas Port Modernization Program.
STAR was constructed under a build-operate-transfer scheme and involves the construction of a four-lane toll road, including interchanges, fences, overpasses and toll facilities.
The P2.511-billion project will hasten the development of Batangas City port as an alternate to the Port of Manila.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said civil and marine works under Phase 2 Package 1 of the Batangas Port development project is for completion by December 18, 2007.
Funded by official development assistance from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the second phase consists of dredging and reclamation, construction of two foreign container cargo berths, reconstruction of the general cargo berth at the first phase area with provision for stacking yard, container freight station, terminal building, utilities, access road, and other support facilities.
Berthing facilities consist of three concrete piers: Pier 1 (center) 127-meter (m) long, 15m wide; Pier 2 (north) 105m long, 15m wide; and Pier 3 (south) 84m long, 15m wide. The port has seven roll-on roll-off ramps.
