Subway ROW acquisition target set at 95% by end of 2025

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the right-of-way (ROW) acquisition target for the Metro Manila Subway project has been set at about 95% by the end of the year.

“As of today, the entire subway, the subterranean and the station are at 75%. Based on the (current phase) there is a big possibility we could hit 95% by the end of the year,” Transportation Assistant Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing on Wednesday.

The DoTr is hoping to award the last three remaining packages of Metro Manila Subway project around October or November, Mr. Lopez said, adding that the department is currently in negotiations with prospective contractors.

The last three remaining contract packages (CP) are 105, 108, 109. CP 105 covers the construction of the station in Kalayaan Avenue and Bonifacio Global City; while CP 108 covers the Lawton and Senate-DepEd stations; and CP 109 the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 station.

The remaining contract packages are valued at between P10 billion and P15 billion.

Mr. Lopez said that once the contracts and notices to proceed are awarded, groundbreaking on the remaining segments is likely by November.

“Hopefully, we can break ground by November. Once the contracts are awarded and there is a notice to proceed, there is no reason not to break ground,” he said.

In July, the DoTr said that it is pushing for partial operations of subway line, though the entire line is expected to be completed by 2032.

The subway is 33 kilometers long with 17 stations. The goal is to cut travel time between Quezon City and NAIA to 35 minutes from over an hour currently. It is expected to accommodate up to 370,000 passengers daily. — Ashley Erika O. Jose