The Central Visayas Regional Development Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday backing a proposed underground railway network designed to span the length of Metro Cebu.

The proposed Mass Rapid Transit system will anchor a 67.5-kilometer multi-modal transport route connecting Danao City in the north to Carcar City in the south.

The Department of Transportation announced during the council meeting that it has allocated P426 million this year for a comprehensive study to evaluate the project’s construction. The 24-month feasibility study will be funded by the Asian Development Bank.

Jennifer Bretaña, the regional director for the state economic planning agency in Central Visayas, said the underground system is part of the wider Metro Cebu Urban Mass Transit plan, which intends to integrate the railway with the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system, jeepney routes, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian walkways.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, who chairs the regional council, said the underground MRT is one of several major infrastructure projects currently undergoing evaluation to address chronic traffic congestion in the province.