By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad, Inquirer Business
Megawide Construction Corp. aims to start building the two underground stations of the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway project by the first quarter of next year.
“We are just waiting for the typical down payment so [we] can start the construction,” Megawide chair, CEO and president Edgar Saavedra told the reporters last week.
He said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was keen on fast-tracking the construction of the infrastructure project but the budget approval must be obtained first following the entry of a new administration.
Contracts
In May, the listed contractor received the notice of award for the P17.75-billion contract package (CP) 104, which includes the construction of Ortigas North and Ortigas South stations and tunnel works.
Megawide has teamed up with Japanese firms Tokyu Construction Co., Ltd. and Tobishima Corp. for this venture.
At the same time, Saavedra said they were also keen to bid for other subway project contracts, including CP 105, with the same partners. The mentioned contract covers construction of two stations linking Shaw Boulevard and Bonifacio Global City and tunnel works, he explained.
The DOTr announced in May that the tunnel construction for the subway project was set to begin following the lowering of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the Valenzuela depot. The TBM can facilitate drilling of 12 meters of tunnels per day.
A total of 25 TBMs, which can dig up to 600 cubic meters of soil, will be used for the project. The subway project is targeted to be operational by 2027.
Capacity
The underground railway system, which is designed to have 17 stations, will connect Valenzuela City to Pasay City. About 370,000 passengers per day are expected to be served during the first full year of operations.
The subway is seen to reduce travel time between Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay to just 35 minutes from one hour and 10 minutes at present.
The idea of building a Metro Manila subway was first proposed in 1973 under the Urban Transport Study in the Manila Metropolitan Area.
