PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) Contract Package 109 (CP109) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez said this would mark the start of construction of an underground railway link to the country's main gateway.
Lopez said the 2.413-kilometer underground route will connect Taguig City and Pasay City and include a dedicated subway station beneath the NAIA Terminal 3 open parking lot.
The project is part of the 33.103-kilometer Metro Manila Subway, the country's first underground railway system, which aims to cut travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA Terminal 3 from more than 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 41 minutes, according to the DOTr chief.
Financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the subway project has an approved total cost of P488.48 billion, the transportation agency said.
It said that the NAIA Terminal 3 Station will have a gross floor area of 19,179.50 square meters and is expected to serve about 70,000 passengers daily by 2035.
Passenger demand at the station is projected to increase to 74,000 daily by 2045, underscoring its role in linking the airport with the capital's railway network, Lopez said.
The station is among the main components of the subway project, which is intended to provide an alternative to road-based transport between northern Metro Manila and the airport.
The entire subway system is designed to operate 30 eight-car trainsets at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. The project's Completion is set for the third quarter of 2031, the DOTr said.
Expected to improve connectivity between key areas of Metro Manila, including Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig and Pasay, the project will provide direct rail access to NAIA Terminal 3.
“The groundbreaking of CP109 marks another construction milestone for the country's first underground railway, as the government moves to expand mass transport infrastructure and address congestion in the capital,” Lopez said.
