DOTr, Spain’s IDOM to sign P1.4-billion contract for design, engineering of MRT4

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday said it is set to sign a contract agreement for the detailed architectural and engineering design of the Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT4) with Spain-based design consultant IDOM Consulting Engineering, Architecture, SA, (IDOM).

In a statement, the DOTr said the contract will be signed on Friday, October 1, 2021.

“The mobilization of the project started after the Department of Transportation issued IDOM the Notice of Award on September 17, 2021,” it said.

The total contract cost of the consultancy project is $28.967 million or around P1.4 billion using the foreign exchange rate of $1 = P50, according to the DOTr.

IDOM as the detailed architectural and engineering design consultant (DEDC) will prepare the project's preliminary design, detailed engineering and tender designs, the loan processing documents, financial and economical assessments, the project/loan safeguards documents, and bidding documents for the MRT4 project.

Under the agreement, IDOM is also tasked to determine the proper mode of transportation along the alignment and provide the methodology on ridership validation.

Funded by an official development assistance (ODA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the MRT4 is a proposed railway mass-transit system intended to serve and connect the eastern part of Metro Manila, including the highly-populated areas of the province of Rizal.

The railway project will cut across the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon, Pasig, and municipalities of Cainta and Taytay in Rizal, addressing the massive traffic problem and limited road capacities in the over-populated areas of eastern Metro Manila.

Once operational, the MRT4 project will see an uptick in employment opportunities, livelihood and business opportunities for Filipinos.

The project's design stage is slated for the fourth quarter of 2021, while the start of early works is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022, the DOTr said. — Ted Cordero/BM, GMA News