Excavation of tunnels with a total length of 9.5 km has begun on the CP101 Metro Manila Subway Project, the first underground railway project in the Philippines. Construction is being conducted by a joint venture led by Japan’s Shimizu Corporation. The package includes construction of the depot, three stations and the 7.7 km initial opening section. The first two of the six tunnel boring machines were launched from a shaft at the northern end of the railcar depot on January 9th. The entire project is scheduled for completion in July 2027.

The Metro Manila Subway Project will build 17 stations and a rail yard on a 33.1-kilometre route from Mindanao Avenue in the northern part of Metro Manila to Western Bicutan in the south. Shimizu is joined by two Japanese construction companies, Fujita Corporation and Takenaka Civil Engineering and EEI, a major local construction company. The total value of the contract is 158.5 billion yen. Excavation will be carried out by six earth pressure tunnel boring machines. The tunnels will have an inner diameter of 6.1 meters and a total length of 9.5 km. The TBM launch ceremony was held on January 9th and was attended by many guests, including President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, and Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista, wishing for the successful completion of the project. (2023/01/18)