'Project of the Century': What You Need to Know About the Metro Manila Subway Project
As Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard stations break ground.
(SPOT.ph) President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday led the groundbreaking for two stations of the Metro Manila Subway Project, the country's first underground railway system seen to reduce travel time between Quezon City and Pasay.
The groundbreaking ceremony signals the construction of the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations of the subway project which, according to Transport Sec. Jaime Bautista, will be the "crown jewel" of the country's mass transit infrastructure system after its target completion by 2028.
The Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations are just two of the planned 17 stations of the railway system dubbed as the "project of the century", spanning the cities of Valenzuela, Quezon, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, and Pasay.
The construction of these two stations will also prompt the closure of a portion of Meralco Avenue in Pasig City from Capitol Commons to Shaw Boulevard, rerouting traffic starting Oct. 3 until 2028 as the building of these structures is ongoing.
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Here's what you need to know about the Metro Manila Subway Project:
Where will the subway system pass through?
The Metro Manila Subway Project will span 33 kilometers and 17 stations, passing through seven cities in the metro and covering areas connected to business districts, universities, and transportation hubs.
Here are the planned 17 stations for the subway project:
- East Valenzuela
- Quirino Highway
- Tandang Sora
- North Avenue
- Quezon Avenue
- East Avenue
- Anonas
- Camp Aguinaldo
- Ortigas Station
- Shaw
- Kalayaan Avenue
- Bonifacio Global City
- Lawton
- Senate-DepEd
- FTI
- Bicutan
- NAIA Terminal 3
The first four stations --- East Valenzuela, Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue --- as well as the 30-hectare depot in Valenzuela City have started construction with two of the 19 tunnel boring machines lowered and ready for launch by the end of this year, according to the Department of Transportation.
The Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations, which broke ground on Monday, will be connected by a 920.5-meter tunnel and will link Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to Kalayaan Avenue Station in Taguig, expected to be operational by 2028.
How fast will the trains go?
The Metro Manila Subway Project's fleet will consist of 30 train sets with eight cars each, traveling at an operational speed of 80 kilometers per hour and a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour.
Once operational, the railway system is expected to serve 519,000 passengers daily and reduce travel time between Quezon City and NAIA to 35 minutes from the current one hour and 10 minutes.
Who funds the project?
The railway project is supported by loans from Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The first two tranches of official development loans were signed in March 2018 and February 2022, amounting to a total of 358 billion Japanese yen, or around P145 billion.
Two huge tunnel boring machines from Japan will be used for the construction of the tunnel between Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations. Every day, each machine can excavate 300 to 500 cubic meters of soil and create a tunnel of nine to 12 meters long, the DOTr said.
Meralco Avenue is closed, where can motorists pass instead?
Motorists affected by the closure of a portion of Meralco Avenue due to the construction of the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations may take the following route:
- Jeepneys from Meralco Avenue to Shaw Boulevard: reroute to Captain Henry Javier Street to Danny Floro Street and vice versa
- Modern jeepneys from Meralco Avenue to Shaw Boulevard: reroute to Dona Julia Vargas Avenue to San Miguel Avenue and vice versa
- UV Express from Meralco Avenue to Shaw Boulevard: reroute to Dona Julia Vargas Avenue to San Miguel Avenue or Anda Road to Camino Verde