The huge new £4.1bn mega-project to end traffic chaos in one of world's biggest cities

The Philippines has plans to end traffic chaos in its capital city of Manila through the construction of two tolled expressways.

The two projects - the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEx) and the Northern Access Link Expressway (NALEx) - are set to cost an incredible £4.1 billion combined.

The SALEx project will see an elevated route comprising the Metro Manila Skyway and the Shoreline Expressway built for £2.1 billion. It is hoped that it will help address the Asian country's chronic congestion issues.

The £2 billion NALEx route, meanwhile, is intended to improve transport from the New Manila International Airport and the largest metropolitan area of Manila (Metro Manila) in stage one and between Tarlac City and Pampanga in stage two.

Both projects will form part of the Greater Capital Region Integrated Expressways Network, a planned network of interconnected expressways designed to improve transport connectivity within the wider metropolitan areas around Manila.

Construction of SALEx and NALEx is set to commence in the first quarter of 2025 and is projected to be completed in three years.

The Toll Regulatory Board awarded the project to San Miguel Corp (SMC), which is also responsible for the Skyway Stage 4 expressway project. This route is expected to serve as an alternative from Parañaque to Quezon City via Taguig, Taytay, Antipolo, and San Mateo and decongest the main thoroughfares of Metro Manila.

However, SMC has revealed that the Skyway project will now cost £761 million instead of the £617 originally envisaged. The 20-mile route features three lanes in each direction and will have 28 ramps in total.

SMC claims that once the Skyway Stage 4 is completed, travel from Bicutan and Taguig to the Batasan area in Quezon City will take just 30 minutes, down from the usual two hours.

The Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN), meanwhile, is set to build another expressway project, stretching some 23 miles alongside Laguna Lake, the largest lake in the Philippines.

This separate project is set to cost £2.2 billion, with much of the funding provided by a £1.3 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The northern stretch of the road will be paid for by a £715 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

The LLRN will feature several viaducts and bridges crossing waterways that link to Laguna Lake, as well as facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

Manila is the most populous region in the country and in the world, with an incredible nearly 113,000 inhabitants per square mile. It is also the world’s most densely populated city proper.

It has also developed as a popular tourist destination, boasting historic sites stretching from its colonial period to World War Two, impressive shopping centres and beautiful green parks like Rizal Park which includes Chinese and Japanese themed areas.