The Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirms that the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), a project under the San Miguel Corporation (SMC), will be facing a delay in completion due to right-of-way (RoW) issues in the San Jose del Monte, Bulacan section—with the government of San Jose del Monte requesting DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista to change the alignment.
Image by Joan Bondoc via Philippines News Agency
Sec. Bautista stated, “What they told me is that we can divert the station to another location because the current area is too tight and many buildings will be affected. There is opposition from the building owners.” The realignment may push the completion of the MRT-7 in 2028.
However, Secretary Bautista assured that the MRT-7 will operate its Quezon City network by 2025, and has targeted Tala Station in Caloocan City by 2026.
The MRT-7 will have 14 stations that will run from Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan:
- Quezon North Avenue Joint Station
- Quezon Memorial Circle
- University Avenue
- Tandang Sora
- Don Antonio
- Batasan
- Manggahan
- Doña Carmen
- Regalado
- Mindanao Avenue
- Quirino
- Sacred Heart
- Tala
- vSan Jose del Monte
It is expected to carry 300,000 passengers daily in its first year, and up to 850,000 passengers a day in its 12th year.
References:
Jose, A. E. (2024 May 20). Completion of SMC’s MRT-7 delayed on RoW issues in Bulacan segment — DoTr. BusinessWorld. https://www.bworldonline.com/corporate/2024/05/20/596082/completion-of-smcs-mrt-7-delayed-on-row-issues-in-bulacan-segment-dotr/#google_vignette
Rosales, E. F. (2024 May 20). MRT-7 construction suffers another delay. The Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/business/2024/05/20/2356352/mrt-7-construction-suffers-another-delay#:~:text=MANILA%2C%20Philippines%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Metro%20Rail,by%202027%20at%20the%20earliest.