NEDA-ICC approves P59.3-B MRT-4
Credit to Author: Lisbet K. Esmael| Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 16:11:26 +0000
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) realized progress for the construction of the P59.3-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT-4) after it secured the green light from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
In a statement on Tuesday, the DoTr said the NEDA-Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) approved its plan to construct another rail transit network, which is being eyed to connect parts of eastern Metro Manila and the province of Rizal.
“Considering how densely-populated these areas are, which is made more difficult with the lack of road capacities and ever worsening traffic conditions, MRT-4 will be of great help in moving commuters between eastern Metro Manila and Rizal,” Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade was quoted as saying in the statement.
The approval was given last December 20.
Construction of the multi-billion peso project will begin in 2021 and may take five years to complete, the DOTr said.
The MRT-4 — to be funded by an official development assistance from the
Asian Development Bank, with the DOTr as proponent — is a 15.56-kilometer rail-based transit system that will have 11 stations.
Targeted for full commercial operations by 2025, the rail project seeks to ease traffic woes in Quezon City, San Juan City, Mandaluyong City, Pasig City and the Ortigas Center, including Cainta and Taytay in Rizal, as it could initially cater to 234,433 passengers daily.
“After passing the ICC-CabCom, we’ll be able to release the projects by early next year, allowing us time within the Duterte administration to significantly complete these game-changing projects. It’s crucial that we start these projects — we’ll be working on the procurement, that’s why we fast-tracked all these projects before the end of the year so that next year, we can focus purely on the detailed engineering and procurement of these big-ticket projects,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar also said in the statement.