At least six tunnel borning machines (TBMs) are expected to be operationalized by the end of 2024 to hasten the completion of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), a mega railway system funded by the government of Japan, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Friday, July 5.
Transportation Sec. Jaime Bautista said the construction for the country’s first underground railway system "is in full blast" with four TBMs already operating.
"'Yung Metro Manila Subway continuous ‘yung operations ng ating boring machines. By the end of the year, anim na 'yung nagooperate na boring machines (The operations of our boring machines for the Metro Manila Subway is continuous. By the end of the year, we will have six boring machines that will be operating)," he said.
According to Bautista, the DOTr has been coordinating with the Japanese government to add more TBMs to speed up the construction of the subway, expecting at least 19 TBMs to be operating in the following years.
"Next year, we’re taking delivery of more TBMs and maybe there will be a time that we will have almost 19 boring machines working simultaneously to finish the project," he said.
The TBMs are being utilized to complete the excavation for the tunnels using a top-down construction method for the construction of the stations.
Around 1.2 million cubic meters of soil using cut-cover and the TBMs are to be excavated for the partial operability (PO) section of the project or an equivalent of five hundred (500) Olympic size swimming pools, according to the DOTr.
For the tunnels alone, the agency said that excavation will be around 711,000 cubic meters or an equivalent of 285 Olympic size swimming pools.
The DOTr is likewise working with the contractors of the MMSP to fast-track the construction of the subway stations, Bautista noted.
"Itong Metro Manila Subway, ang more challenging part of the construction 'yung mga stations kasi maraming stations ‘yan—17 stations—‘yun ang pinipilit namin na madaliin ‘yung completion and we’re working closely with the contractors (The more challenging part of the construction for the Metro Manila Subway are the stations because it has a lot of stations—17 stations— and that's what we are trying to rush, and we're working closely with the contractors)," he added.
Billed as the Philippines' "Crown Jewel" of mass transit system, the Metro Manila Subway will cut across eight cities stretching from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City with a spur line to NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The 33-kilometer and 17-station rail line aims to cut travel time between Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City from the present one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes.
Once operational, the underground railway system can service up to 370,000 passengers daily, the DOTr estimated.