THE Transportation department said the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), which is being built by San Miguel Corp. (SMC), is expected to be ready for partial operations between North Avenue Station in Quezon City and Sacred Heart Station in Caloocan City by December.
“Partial operations by Dec. 2021: North Avenue Station to Sacred Heart Station,” Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran told BusinessWorld by phone message Thursday.
MRT-7’s depot along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City is also expected to be operational by December, she added.
According to its website, the Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center) said the P63-billion project involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the 23-kilometer elevated railway line, with 14 stations between San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and MRT-3 North Avenue in Quezon City.
It also covers the construction of a 22-kilometer road from the Bocaue Interchange of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) to the intermodal terminal in Tala, Quezon City.
“The road component will divert northern provincial buses operation to San Jose del Monte, thereby decongesting EDSA,” the PPP Center said.
SMC announced in December that it had injected P147.81 million more in its infrastructure unit to support the project.
SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. is undertaking the project along with the Transportation department.
SMC shares closed 0.70% higher at P128.90 Thursday. — Arjay L. Balinbin