Sunday, March 6, 2022
NAvenue Common Station features intermodal system
THE North Avenue Common Station structure linking four major railway systems in Quezon City is slated to be completed by end of March this year, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) announced yesterday.
The DoTr said an intermodal integrated system is also set to be established at the station so that all commuters leaving the Common Station can leave by public transportation.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade inspected the Common Station on Thursday, accompanied by the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa, BF Corp. Chief Executive Officer Marides Fernando, and private sector partners.
The March target of completion of the Station's building structure has been achieved without disrupting the flow of Edsa traffic or realigning the operations of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3, the DoTr secretary said.
The inspection consisted of a walkthrough of the Common Station, which saw significant and fast-paced improvements since the last inspection in December 2021.
To date, the Common Station Building of Area A is now connected to Area B or the Atrium, which is now 100 percent complete.
The 13,700-square meter concourse area will interconnect four major railway lines: Light Rail Transit (LRT)-1, MRT-3, MRT-7 and soon, the Metro Manila Subway Project.
As the project's contractor, BF Corp. vowed to meet the set timeline by working non-stop to complete the project.
At present, the concreting of the platform level, where the MRT-3 and LRT-1 lines are set to merge, is now ongoing, according to Fernando.
Koshikawa, who earlier rode the MRT-3 from the Ayala Station going to the inspection site at North Avenue, lauded the efforts of the DoTr to improve mobility and connectivity in the country.
"So, in the near future, I can change from the MRT-3 to the LRT-1 and MRT-7 or Metro Manila Subway via this Common Station. And I can go anywhere in a short time period. Needless to say, railway connectivity is indispensable for efficient transport. That's why the opening of this Common Station will offer a significant level of comfort to use these railways," he said.