The Department of Transportation said Monday the construction of Metro Rail Transit Line-7 is nearly half-completed.
The agency said in a statement the contractor of MRT Line 7, which runs 22 kilometers from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan achieved 47-percent progress in construction.
It said the ongoing civil works include the guideway construction, underground/depressed and at-grade excavation or concreting works and installation of coping beam, girder and trans-slabs on the elevated structures.
“With the construction in full swing 24/7, the rolling stock and electrical and mechanical (E&M) works are also in progress. At present, 108 cars are already completed,” the DOTr said.
Once completed by 2021, this 22-kilometer rail line will reduce travel times between Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City from two to three hours to only 35 minutes.
The P69.3-billion MRT 7 project, which will have 14 stations, is being built by SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. under SMC’s infrastructure subsidiary San Miguel Holdings Inc.
San Miguel tapped Hyundai Rotem and EEI consortium to build the railway line which will have stations at North Ave., Quezon Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose del Monte.
San Miguel will also build a depot in San Jose del Monte that will house a control center, administrative offices, warehouse and facilities for train cars.
MRT 7 will be the second major project of the infrastructure arm of San Miguel. The DOTr earlier issued the notice of award to San Miguel for the planned P734-billion Bulacan International Airport project.
Under the notice, SMHC will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning and operation and maintenance of the new international gateway.
The Bulacan International Airport is expected to commence construction by the end of the year and is targeted for operations within four to six years.
San Miguel tapped the services of global firms Groupe ADPi, Meinhardt Group and Jacobs Engineering to design and build the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan.