MANILA — Megawide Construction Corp said it has signed a deal with Maplecrest Group Inc and the Cavite provincial government to build a bus rapid transit system in the province.

The agreement for the Cavite Bus Rapid Transit System Project (CBRT) was signed on January 27, Megawide disclosed to the stock exchange. The CBRT is a Private-Public Partnership Project of the Cavite LGU which aims to build a 29-kilometer mass transit system with an estimated total cost of P1.87 billion, under a 30-year Build Operate Transfer scheme.  

“The initial phase of CBRT will serve close to 10,000 daily passengers, with a target to increase ridership five-fold within three years, depending on Cavite’s progress,” said Megawide Chairman and CEO Edgar Saavedra.

Phase 1 of the CBRT will have three terminals with 27 stations and will traverse several cities and municipalities – including Kawit, Imus, General Trias, and Tanza, Megawide said.

Phase 2 will be composed of one terminal and 20 stations and will be interconnected to Trece Martires via the New Cavite Provincial Capitol. It will connect to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and other CBDs via point-to-point bus services, the company added.

A large part of the CBRT alignment will go through the spine road of Lancaster New City, a project of Maplecrest subsidiary, Profriends.

Construction of phase 1 of the CBRT starts in the first quarter of this year and is expected to be operational in the third quarter. Megawide added that the completion of the whole project is targeted in 2028.