DOTr to kick-off Mega Manila Subway construction in December

Construction of the Mega Manila Subway is poised to begin in December this year, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said Wednesday.

“We are still on track. We are starting the ground-breaking and formal construction by the end of this year, not later than December, na kung saan uumpisahan natin ‘yung construction doon sa partial operability sa tatlong istasyon,” Tugade said in a press conference in Malacañang.

Expected to operate in May 2022, the first three stations  are Mindanao Avenue-Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue.

The process was facilitated by the first tranche of the loan agreement, amounting to ¥104.530 billion or around P51 billion, which was signed in March.

“Napabilis po natin ang proseso na kung saan nag-agree-agree ang mga partidos upang mapaaga ‘yung pag-start ng proyekto,” Tugade noted.

“‘Yung loan agreement napirmahan na po ‘yun nung Marso 2018. Kaya nga ho, dahil sa pagpirma ng loan agreement, umusad ng may kaunting kabilisan ‘yung mga proseso at progreso ng ating proyekto,” he said.

The Valenzuela City depot and the Philippine Railway Institute will also be constructed starting in December, Tugade said.

The country’s first subway rail system stretches 30 kilometers, with 14 stations straddling Mindanao Ave. in Quezon City and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City.

 The plan is to provide a 5-km extension and two additional stations to connect with the Light Rail Transit Line 1.

The Mega Manila Subway is expected to reduce commuting time from Quezon City to the airport to under 40 minutes.

The entire railway system is expected to be completed in 2025. —VDS, GMA News