Last Friday, October 1, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was able to officially sign Spain based IDOM Consulting Engineering, Architecture SA, to execute the Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT 4) project. The MRT 4 project will be different from our usual lines in the Philippines as it will be an elevated monorail line.

The DOTr aims for the 58.9 billion peso project to be able to emit less noise and require less space to provide more flexibility and minimize footprints. The planned structure will be far different from the traditional lines that we have come to know. 

Since monorail line systems consist of trains running on a single rail, they can carry less passengers vs our traditional lines here in the country. However, this also means that they are easier to build since they require less space and are fit for densely developed areas. This makes it perfect because the MRT 4 will be able to help address the traffic problems of densely populated areas in Metro Manila, such as Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon City, and Pasig. 

The said project will be funded by the Asian Development Bank and have a set construction timeline starting from 2024 and ending in 2027. According to DOTr undersecretary Timothy John Batan, a detailed engineering design phase will begin in the first quarter of next year, right-of-way acquisition will begin in Q2 of 2022, procurement in Q2 of 2023, and construction in 2024. The DOTr, together with its foreign partners, targets full operations of the MRT 4 in the Philippines by 2028.

The MRT 4 will have stations in N. Domingo, Bonny Serrano, Greenhills, Edsa, Manila Electric Co., Tiendesitas, Rosario, St. Joseph, Cainta, San Juan, Tikling Junction, North Manila Road and Taytay. According to the DOTr, travel time from N. Domingo in Quezon City to Taytay, Rizal, would be cut down to only 27 minutes once the line becomes fully operational.