DoTr: LRT-2 East extension operational by April

The Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2) East Extension project is now 92.14 percent complete, but its opening may happen in the second quarter of 2021, according to the Department of Transportation (DoTr).

In a statement on Wednesday, the department said the extension might be fully operational by April.

This comes after Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Spokesman Hernan Cabrera said two additional stations would be ready to accommodate riders within the first quarter of next year.

These are Emerald station in front of Robinsons Metro East and Santa Lucia malls in Cainta town, Rizal province; and Masinag station, located before the Masinag Junction in Antipolo City, Rizal.

“The LRT 2 East Extension Project…shall ease the travel of our [countrymen] from Rizal to Manila. Once this is completed, travel time from Recto to Masinag would be reduced to 40 minutes, compared [with] up to three hours travel via bus or jeepney,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in an earlier statement.

The P2.27-billion project, whose construction started in 2017, seeks to extend the current railway system from Santolan in Pasig City to Masinag.

Under the plan, a 4-kilometer extension would be established to accommodate commuters going to and from the eastern part of Metro Manila.

Around 80,000 passengers daily will benefit from the additional stations, the DoTr said, boosting the LRT-2’s current 240,000 capacity.

The group of Japan’s Marubeni Corp. and D.M Consunji Inc. (DMCI) bagged the $62-million electrical and mechanical contract for the project.

Under the contract, Marubeni would lead the administration and the procurement of the E&M for the extension, while DMCI would focus on track-work procurement and on the establishment and installation of E&M systems.

The construction arm of DMCI Holdings, Inc. is also the contractor for the construction of the two additional stations.

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Article originally posted by The Manila Times last September 17, 2020 and written by Lisbet K. Esmael.