Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Lawmakers ask DOTr to ensure timely completion of JICA supported railways

By Charissa Luci-Atienza

Lawmakers on Wednesday asked the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to ensure that the railway projects supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be implemented on time.

At Wednesday’s House Committee on Transportation briefing on the JICA-supported railway projects, Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar sought assurance from DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan that the timelines for the implementation of the projects will be complied with.

“The updates sound very good. Have you given progress reports and timelines in the past you did not comply with? How can you assure that you can keep these timelines?,” he asked after Batan presented to the panel the status of the JICA-supported railway projects.

Batan noted that the ongoing projects that have direct JICA support include MRT-3 rehabilitation and maintenance, North South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, Light Railway Transit 1, Light Railway Transit 2, and Philippine Railway Institute.

The DOTr official explained that the National Economic Development Authority ((NEDA) has put in place project monitoring facility to make sure that the “timelines committed are the timelines realized.”

“You might come around, and you might say that it (delay) is (the) fault of the implementing agencies. Make sure that you will be on top of these projects and make sure that the timelines given to us are complied with,” Del Mar said.

“If there are excusable delays that could be avoided, please give us a notice in advance to prevent the delays, excusable or not,” he said.

San Jose Del Monte Rep. Florida Robes and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop also counted on the DOTr to ensure that the implementation of the projects will not be delayed.

At the start of the briefing, Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, said, “We want to be briefed about the projects so that the Congress can support you in the efficient implementation thereof.”

Batan said the MRT 3 rehabilitation project is expected to be completed in March 2021. The P16.390-billion rehabilitation, which involves Sumitomo Corporation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as technical partner, includes the overhaul of 72 trains, track replacement and upgrade of signaling, power system and communication system.

Batan also apprised the panel that the P149.30-billion North South Commuter Railway Project, which is 37.6 kilometers spanning from Tutuban to Malolos, Bulacan with 10 stations will start by the first quarter of 2019 and will be completed by fourth quarter of 2021.

He also noted that the partial operations of the 72-kilometer North South Commuter Railway Project Los Banos Extension is expected by the second quarter of 2022 and will be fully operated by second quarter of 2023. It is designed to accommodate around 340,000 passengers per day on opening year.

While, the North South Commuter Railway Project Clark Extension will begin in the second quarter of 2019 and will be fully operated by second quarter of 2023, he said.

Batan said the P356-billion Metro Manila Subway Project will start by the first quarter of this year and will be fully completed by third quarter of 2025.

He also disclosed that the P9.5-billion LRT 2 East Extension (Santolan-Antipolo), which started in 2016, will be finished by first quarter of 2020 and the Philippine Railway Institute will be opened by 2022.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/01/16/lawmakers-ask-dotr-to-ensure-timely-completion-of-jica-supported-railways/

Portion of NLEX Harbor Link Project to open this month

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday said a part of the multi-billion North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 Project will open to motorists this month.

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, the portion of the undertaking that is set to be opened will shorten the travel time from Circumferential Road 3 (C-3) in Caloocan City and NLEX in Quezon City.

“We are happy to announce that the NLEX Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C-3 in Caloocan City and NLEX, will be reduced to 10 mins,” Villar said in a statement.

NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-km elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C-3 Road, Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C-3 Road, Caloocan City and Radial Road 10 (R-10), Navotas City.

The project costs PHP15.5 billion.

With this, Villar reported that the next segment will improve the movement of cargo from the Port of Manila by providing a direct connection between R-10 and NLEX.

“The next phase will connect it to R-10 and reduce travel time from Port Area in Manila to Quezon City to approximately 10 minutes,” he said.

NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 to open this month

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Harbor Link Segment 10 is finally set to open this month.

“We are happy to announce that the NLEx Harbor Link Project will be accessible to the public by January. When this is completed, travel time from C3 in Caloocan and NLEx, will be reduced to 10 minutes,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a statement on Tuesday.

The project was originally scheduled for completion in December after the DPWH delivered 100% right-of-way on the toll road’s main line in October.

Harbor Link Segment 10 is an expressway project by the government’s private concessionaire NLEX Corp., which aims to connect Karuhatan in Valenzuela City to C3 road in Caloocan City, with a spur road to Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas City.

About 30,000 cars a day are expected to benefit from the toll road once it opens, a bulk of which are trucks coming from the port area.

NLEX Corp. is part of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).

MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez

https://www.bworldonline.com/nlex-harbor-link-segment-10-to-open-this-month/