The Philippine Star, 15 January 2014

By Lawrence Agcaoili

 

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is set to bid out the contract for the construction of the common station near the Trinoma Mall in North Ave. to connect the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) systems within the first half of the year.

Based on the presentation made to prospective bidders of the P65-billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1 Cavite extension project, the DOTC said the LRT1 North Edsa common station project worth P1.39 billion would be constructed near the Trinoma mall.

The DOTC is looking at completing the bidding and awarding of the contract for the project within the first half of the year so that construction would start in the third quarter.

The DOTC hopes to complete the proposed common station by the third quarter of 2015.

The project would involve a turn-back system between the SM North EDSA and Trinoma malls to serve as an area where trains would maneuver to change directions.

The station would serve as a common platform to interconnect LRT1 that runs from Baclaran to Monumento, the MRT 3 that traverses EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Ave. in Pasay City, and the proposed MRT7 of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. that would run from Caloocan City and pass through Lagro and Fairview, Novaliches, Batasan, Diliman, Philcoa, before ending at EDSA.

The proposed common station was one of the seven major infrastructure projects worth P184.2 billion approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Aside from the P1.4 billion common station project, other projects approved by the NEDA Board include the P64.9-billion LRT1 Cavite extension project, the P62.7-billion Metro Rail Transit 7 project, the P24.4 billion Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project of the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System (MWSS).