THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the Area B, which will serve as the common concourse of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-Light Rail Transit (LRT) common station project in North Avenue, Quezon City, is now 96% complete.

In a statement Tuesday, the DoTr said the completion rate of Area B is now “96%” complete. “We are expecting the completion of the (entire) common station project by 2021,” it added.

The common station will link four commuter train lines: LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, and eventually, the Metro Manila Subway. It will have three sections that are being built separately: Area A by Foresight Development and Surveying Co. (BFC-FDSC), Area B by Ayala Corp. and Area C by San Miguel Corp., the concessionaire for the MRT-7 project.

“With a previous, lingering dispute on the actual location, the DoTr settled the issue and started the construction of the common station, a 13,700-square meter concourse area that will interconnect the LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway,” the transportation department said.

As for updates regarding the Areas A and C of the project, the DoTr said these are in the detailed engineering design phase.

“Now under 24/7 construction, the common station is expected to serve approximately 478,000 passengers daily once operational by 2021,” the DoTr added.

“Papaano mo malalaman ‘yung nagagawa kung aasa ka lang sa bunganga. Kaya ako nag-iinspeksyon. At the end of the year, gusto kong gamitin ‘yung bunganga, yung mata, pati na ‘yung tenga ko at nang sa ganun pwede akong gumawa ng judgement (You can’t judge project progress through second-hand reports, which is why I conduct inspections. At the end of the year, I want to rely on all possible information to judge project progress)” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade was quoted as saying. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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