Friday, June 13, 2008 [ philstar.com ]
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Leandro Mendoza announced yesterday that the construction of four more railway stations to connect the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) North EDSA terminal in Quezon City with the Light Railway Transit (LRT) Monumento terminal in Caloocan City will start this month.
Speaking at the 110th Independence Day rites in Caloocan City, Mendoza said “the completion of the (LRT-MRT) loop will mean safe, comfortable and environment-friendly travel for commuters. The rail does not use oil but electricity.”
The project will complete the loop formed by the MRT line – which runs from EDSA-Taft Avenue to North EDSA – and the LRT Line 1 – which runs from EDSA-Taft Avenue to Monumento – by establishing four more stations between North EDSA and Monumento.
Mendoza said the 5.2-kilometer project would cost some P6.4 billion, about P1.23 billion per kilometer. The amount would reportedly come from the National Development Company (NDC), a government-owned financial corporation. Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri said there will be no need to relocate the Bonifacio Shrine in Monumento since the construction will not affect it.
During the previous administration, the transfer of the historic 82-year-old landmark to a remote place in Caloocan North became a hot issue when the same interconnection was broached six years ago.Mendoza said construction of the loop will begin sometime this June. The project is expected to be completed by April 2010. The loop begins commercial operation by May 2010, he said.
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