DOTr To Finalize Deals For ₱60B Subway Project By Q2

Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) would award the final three contract packages (CP) for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) worth at least ₱60 billion by the second quarter to accelerate the civil works and complete the railway by 2028.

The DOTr aims to award CP 105, the stations linking Kalayaan in Makati City to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City; CP 108, the Lawton to Senate track; and CP 109, the spur line to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

According to Chavez, each of the packages costs around ₱20 billion. Releasing the final CPs as soon as possible would start the construction of the southern end of the subway.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the project would be completed by 2028 despite challenges in acquiring the right of way (ROW) for some portions of the MMSP.

Bautista said the DOTr will resolve this issue by assigning a specialized group within the agency to work with the Office of the Solicitor General in handling the ROW acquisition for the underground railway.

According to Bautista, commuters can start using the subway by 2027 if contractors of the northern line from East Valenzuela to Shaw Boulevard stations finish their tasks on time.

The ₱488.88-billion Metro Manila Subway is funded by Japan and will extend for about 33 kilometers across seven cities, from Valenzuela City to Pasay City.

It will be the first underground railway in the Philippines and is expected to serve 519,000 commuters a day and shorten travel time from Valenzuela City to NAIA to just 45 minutes.

Source: Philstar