THE Department of Transportation said the P62.7-billion MRT-7 project — which will run between North Avenue in Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan — is now 50.69% complete.
“As of January 15, we are pleased to inform the public that the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) is now 50.69% complete,” the DoTr said in a statement. “Moreover, for the rolling stock and electrical and mechanical works, 108 cars have already been completed, while the track works are underway.”
Currently in various stages of construction are civil works of the underground/depressed, at grade, and elevated guideway of the rail line. The DoTr said the civil works of the nine stations are “at full blast.”
In November, the DoTr said two Quezon City courts had issued orders for the government to take possession of a site eyed for the project’s planned depot in along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, “which was found optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
It replaces the original depot site in San Jose del Monte city, Bulacan which remains subject to a legal case after the property owner questioned the expropriation at the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11.
The P62.7-billion MRT-7 project has three components, namely: a 23-kilometer rail transit system with 13 stations; a six-lane highway between North Luzon Expressway and a planned Intermodal Transportation Terminal (ITT); and the ITT itself that can accommodate 200 buses at a time. Travel from one end to the other is estimated to take 34 minutes. — Arjay L. Balinbin
