The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will soon begin construction on three additional stations for EDSA Busway at a cost of over ₱264 million as it puts pedal to the metal on upgrading the transport system ahead of a planned private sector takeover.

Transportation Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor said the new stations in Cubao, Magallanes, and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) will begin construction in the first quarter of next year.

Based on an invitation to bid issued last month, the DOTr said it plans to spend ₱264.86 million to construct the three new stations, including footbridges.

Pastor added that the DOTr has awarded the contract to build the stations to a contractor this month.

The DOTr expects construction to be completed in the fourth quarter of next year, or at the latest, a year after the issuance of the notice to proceed to the contractor.

According to the bidding document, the busway builder will spend three months on the project’s design phase, with nine months allotted for actual construction.

Both Cubao and Magallanes stations will feature footbridges connecting commuters to the northbound and southbound sides of EDSA.

The busway station at PITX will no longer be located inside the terminal and will instead be built along Kennedy Road to provide a more seamless connection for commuters. It will serve as the southern end station of EDSA Busway.

In terms of design, the DOTr is asking the contractor to model the new stations after the recently renovated SM North EDSA station. The agency said the station reflects its design parameters and performance specifications, making it the “model and ideal EDSA Busway station.”

The DOTr has focused on renovating stations to its new design to make them more accommodating for commuters, particularly senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Currently, most of the busway stations are directly connected to Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), which commuters find burdensome to traverse, especially during rush hour.

The new design will feature a dedicated concourse away from MRT-3, including well-lit and covered walkways, ramps, and elevators.

Earlier, the DOTr allocated ₱252.8 million to rehabilitate busway stations in Monumento, Bagong Barrio, North Avenue, and Guadalupe under the new design.

It is also spending ₱89.13 million to build the new Kamuning Station, which will replace the infamous EDSA-Kamuning footbridge, also known as “Mt. Kamuning.”

Pastor said the new station will be inaugurated in the first quarter as part of the busway’s modernization, in line with the goal of preparing the infrastructure for a public-private partnership (PPP).

He added that the DOTr will first rehabilitate and upgrade all stations next year to expand operations before proceeding with the turnover to the private sector.

“So the intention is for all the bus stops to have a uniform appearance and accessibility so that if ever we push through to privatization, the busway already looks good,” he said in an interview last September.

In a project briefer issued in June, the government listed EDSA Busway as a project under preparation for a PPP deal, with the estimated cost for the concession to operate and maintain the busway at ₱36.99 billion.