MRT-7 guideway construction to cause heavier traffic on Commonwealth starting Aug. 15

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 Traffic Management Task Force on Saturday advised the public of possible traffic build-up on Commonwealth Avenue beginning Aug. 15, Monday.

According to its traffic advisory, the build-up will be due to the start of "phase 1 of the construction of the guideway for the Station 3 of the MRT Line 7."

The second station of the MRT-7 will be at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

It added the current seven lanes available to vehicles on both directions between University Avenue and Central Avenue will be reduced to five lanes.

Construction, which started in 2016, is expected to last until April 2018.

"The Task Force appeals for motorists' cooperation in observing traffic rules to avoid further obstructions on the road while the construction is ongoing. It also asks for patience for the heavy traffic which may be experienced, especially during peak hours," the statement added.

http://cnnphilippines.com/transportation/2017/08/12/mrt-7-advisory.html

DOTr eyes clearing informal settlers along PNR right of way in 2 years

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is aiming to complete the resettlement of informal settlers residing along the right of way of the proposed Philippine National Railways (PNR) North and South rail lines by one and a half to two years.

DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Dr. Cesar Chavez said the right of way needs to be urgently addressed as it hampers the implementation of railway projects.

“We are allocating 1.5 to 2 years to complete the resettlement and acquisition of land area that are needed for the construction of PNR North and South lines,” he said during the Dutertenomics forum held Thursday afternoon at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.

Citing figures from the National Housing Authority (NHA), Chavez said that there are around 100,000 informal settlers living along the PNR line from Manila to Bicol region spanning more than 600 kilometers.

“From Manila to Batangas alone, there are 12,000 families. Calamba to Batangas 25,000 families and 400,000 families all the way from Quezon province to Bicol,” the DOTr official said.

“We are currently negotiating with the civil society groups and local government units to expedite the relocation of informal settlers,” he added.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) at the sidelines of the forum, Chavez said the DOTr has allocated PHP54 billion for the resettlement of the informal settlers.

He said the NHA has a total of 50,000 housing units that are available for the relocation.

“We are negotiating to get a substantial number of units for the informal settlers,” Chavez said.

The department is looking at multiple options for the resettlement — through local government units by provinces or cities, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), NHA or civil society organizations that have extensive credentials and track record in resettlement.

The PNR North Railway Project from Manila to Clark is expected to reduce travel time to just 55 minutes from the current two to three hours.

The rail line will have a total of 17 stations running from Tutuban passing through Marilao and Malolos City and all the way to the Clark International Airport and the proposed New Clark City in Tarlac which will accommodate 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations.

According to the DOTr, the project will start construction in the last quarter of 2017 and will be completed by the last quarter of 2021. The project costs PHP255 billion and will be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from Japan.

Aside from the Manila-Clark railway project, Japan will likewise fund the Manila-Los Baños segment as part of the North-South Commuter Railway Project. China, on the other hand, will finance the PHP151 billion, 581 km. railway (known as the PNR South Long Haul) that will connect Matnog in Sosogon, and Batangas to the National Capital Region.

The DOTr intends to complete nearly 2,000 kilometers of railway during the Duterte administration.

Ayala to join Metro Pacific in MRT3 rehab proposal

Ayala Corporation will join Metro Pacific Investments Corporation in the planned unsolicited proposal to upgrade the glitch-prone Metro Railway Transit Line 3 (MRT3).

Ayala Infrastructure Holdings president and chief executive Rene Almendras said the conglomerate will participate in the proposed unsolicited proposal of Metro Pacific to rehabilitate MRT3.

The terms of the joint venture partnership, however, have yet to be finalized. (READ: Groups of Ramon Ang, MVP set sights on MRT3 upgrade)

The two conglomerates are also partners in the operations and maintenance of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) and the LRT 1 Cavite Extension project under joint venture company Light Rail Manila Corporation.

"We are partners in LRT1 and we think we can make a difference in MRT3," Almendras said.

Metro Pacific submitted a proposal to the Department of Transportation and Communications in 2011, involving a $500-million investment to rehabilitate and upgrade MRT3.

The Aquino administration, however, rejected Metro Pacific's offer, which would involve raising fares for the train system.

The government holds a 77% economic interest in MRT Corporation (MRTC) through the Land Bank opf the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) through the acquisition of asset-backed bonds issued by MRTC’s original owners in 2009.

MRT 3, which runs along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves more than 500,000 passengers per day, or way beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.

The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.

In January 2016, the DOTr signed a P3.8-billion 3-year contract with the joint venture of Busan Transportation Corporation, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile, Inc. TMICorp, and Castan Corporation to maintain the rolling stock and signaling system – the most critical maintenance component of MRT 3.