MANILA – The construction of the North Triangle Common Station along Edsa in Quezon City is set to be completed by the end of the month, after more than 15 years since its approval by the National Economic and Development Authority in December 2006.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade announced in a news release on Saturday that the Station Building of Area A is now connected to Area B (Atrium) which is 100 percent complete.
On Thursday, he inspected the station along with Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency chief representative Eigo Azukizawa, construction firm BF Corporation chief executive officer Marides Fernando, other transport officials, and private sector partners.
The 13,700-square-meter concourse area will interconnect four major railway lines: Light Rail Transit (LRT)-1, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 and 7, and the Metro Manila Subway Project.
“Notwithstanding the fact that I did not close Edsa to traffic, notwithstanding the fact that I did not suspend or realign the operations of the MRT-3, the construction of the Common Station’s building structure will be completed by end of March,” Tugade said.
As aimed to begin operations by July, Tugade directed that the operations begin at an earlier date “without sacrificing quality of work and reasonability of cost”.
“I will henceforth, until my term ends, inspect and make sure that the electromechanical system will also be in place so that this Common Station, a long-time dream of the Filipino people, will turn into reality. I hope it can be done within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte,” he added.
Fernando guaranteed that BF Construction will meet the timeline with non-stop construction, which includes the ongoing concreting of the platform level where the MRT-3 and LRT-1 lines will merge.
Kazuhiko, who took the MRT-3 from Makati’s Ayala Station to the inspection site, complimented the DOTr for its constant efforts to improve mobility and connectivity.
“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 that 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,” Kazuhiko said.
When completed, the Common Station would be able to accommodate about 500,000 passengers each day.
