The proposed Southern Access Link Express (Salex) in Manila has sparked significant alarm among conservationists and local residents. By cutting through the city’s historic districts, this massive elevated highway threatens to overshadow or destroy dozens of irreplaceable architectural landmarks, including the centuries-old Malate Church, Paco Park, and Fort San Antonio Abad. Critics, such as the advocacy group Manileños for Heritage, have already mapped 50 significant sites at risk, warning that the construction vibrations, noise pollution, and visual blight will irreparably damage the character of the capital while displacing communities that have called these neighborhoods home for generations.

Beyond the immediate structural risks, the project represents a continuation of the "uglification" of Manila, a city already struggling with the environmental and aesthetic consequences of rapid, utilitarian infrastructure development. While proponents emphasize connectivity to new transit hubs and airports, opponents argue that these "spaghetti highways" are erasing the last remnants of the city’s pre-war charm and natural landscapes, including historic tree-lined boulevards along the bay. As the city continues to prioritize elevated toll roads over cultural preservation, there is a growing fear that Manila is losing its soul, trading its identity as a historic urban center for a congested web of steel and concrete.