The Philippine government is bringing in two more tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to speed up the construction for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).
The two additional TBMs are expected to arrive by yearend. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is currently using four TBMs and the project construction is in full blast.
The DOTr earlier said it will deploy up to 19 of TBMs–each weighing 600 tonnes and 6.9 meters in diameter– for the Manila subway project.
According to DOTr data, an estimated 1.2 million cubic meters of soil using cut-cover and TBMs are to be excavated for the partial operability section of the MMSP, equivalent to 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
“For the tunnels alone, the excavation will be around 711,000 cubic meters or an equivalent of 285 Olympic size swimming pools,” the DOTr said.
The DOTr is also working with the MMSP’s contractors to fast-track the construction of subway stations. Excavation started in 2021, while full operations is expected in 2029.
Once completed, the MMSP will cut across eight cities in Metro Manila, stretching from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The 33-kilometer subway line aims to cut travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from the current average of one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes. SCREENSHOT FROM A VIDEO POSTED BY Jacque Manabat. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1587226004771720
