(Eagle News) — The Department of Transportation on Friday, Feb. 5, unveiled the first among tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will be used for the partial operability section of the Metro Manila subway project (MMSP).
The DOTr said the MMSP is the first underground railway system in the country, and is expected to run from Valenzuela City to Bicutan, Parañaque, and NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay, and will further stretch across North and South zones of the Greater Capital Region.
Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said the goal was to achieve MMSP partial operability by December of this year.
“This (TBM) symbolizes its name, ‘KAUNLARAN.’. Today, as we applaud the coming of Kaunlaran, I ask you, join us in riding the TBM, and in riding the first Metro Subway because ito ‘ho ay paglakbay papunta sa KAUNLARAN,” Tugade said.
The DOTr said the cutter head is the most important part of the TBM, weighing 74 tons.
Its main purpose is to break, cut and grind rocks and soil by rotating its 36-piece disc cutter.
According to Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, to accelerate the construction of the MMSP and to minimize road interference during construction, “we will be using not just one but a fleet of 25 Japanese-made (TBMs).”
Tugade said the remaining TBMs are coming in the remaining months.
“As the first subway railway system that will provide mass transport in the National Capital Region (NCR), the MMDA strongly believes that accelerating our mass transport system with this unified subway station will steer us (to) the right course,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Benhur Abalos said.
