LRTA gets 8 bids for P6.3-B loop project

The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said eight groups have submitted their letters of intent (LOIs) to participate in the bidding for the P6.3-billion Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-Light Rail Transit (LRT) interconnection project.

LRTA administrator Melquiades Robles identified the eight groups as Leighton Contractors, Inc. (Philippines)-A.M. Oreta & Co. joint venture consortium; Marubeni Corp.; Asset Builders Corp.; D. M. Consunji Inc.; Sumitomo Corp.; Romago, Inc.; R-II Builders, Inc.; and Siemens.

It was learned that the eight groups expressed interest in undertaking one, two or all three of the project’s three packages. Robles said that the bidding process was going smoothly.

“We are making sure that the bidding process is all fair and transparent,” he said.      

Robles said there is also a plan to invite members of the civil society such as representatives from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Philippine Contractors Association and Transparency International to observe the process. 

The LRTA started the bidding process in earnest after it secured the National Economic and Development Authority board’s approval of the project, which involves linking the MRT North Avenue-EDSA end station with the LRT Line 1’s Monumento, Caloocan end station.

The 5.4-kilometer loop will have three new stations – in Balintawak, Roosevelt and North Avenue.

The LRTA said that with the project, the average daily ridership will increase by 66.16 percent or  535,558 passengers from the current average of 322,309 passengers.

The funding for the project will be taken from the debt-paper sale of state-owned National Development Co. amounting to P4.6 billion. The remaining P1.67 billion will be obtained through a General Appropriations Act enacted by Congress. - Rainier Allan Ronda