Construction giant D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) bagged the construction project for the extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) to Cainta, Rizal, with a winning bid of P2.27 billion.
The construction of a 3.9-kilometer elevated guideway for the LRT-2 East Extension from the railway’s current end-station in Santolan in Pasig City to Masinag in Cainta, Rizal was awarded by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
“Railway modernization entails improving infrastructure and shifting services towards better customer-orientation,” Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a statement.
“Our projects for LRT-2 will make fast, affordable, and convenient transportation accessible to residents of the densely populated parts of Rizal, such as Antipolo and Cainta,” Abaya added.
DMCI will have 18 months to complete the civil works for the elevated guideway or viaduct.
Meanwhile, the DOTC and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) accepted on January 27 qualification documents from prospective bidders of the line’s operations and maintenance component.
The project, a public-private partnership scheme, will give the winning concessionaire a 10- to 15-year right to operate and maintain the existing 13.8-kilometer line traversing the cities of Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, Marikina, and Pasig, as well as the 4.2-kilometer extension to Masinag and any future extensions of the rail system.
Groups that have purchased invitation documents for the project’s prequalification stage include DMCI, San Miguel Corporation, GT Capital Holdings, Inc., Light Rail Manila Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, France’s RATP Development, and Spain’s Globalvia.
The DOTC’s bids and awards committee for this project aims to announce the qualified groups by the end of February. Bidding itself is likely to be held in the second half of the year.
Another LRT-2 upgrade the transport agencies are working on is the west extension work running from the Recto Station to the port area in Manila. The proposal is now being processed by the National Economic and Development Authority.
