CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, together with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Reynaldo  Berroya, today will lead the formal inauguration of the LRT-2 East Extension Project.

The LRT-2 East Extension Project adds 3.793 kilometers to the existing 13.8-kilometer LRT-2 train line, that will connect Recto in Manila to Antipolo, Rizal. The extended line will have two (2) new station: Marikina-Pasig and Antipolo stations.

Once operational, the LRT-2 East Extension Project will reduce travel time from Claro M. Recto in Manila to Masinag in Antipolo from 3 hours via bus or jeepney, to just 30 to 40 minutes.

The project shall likewise increase the rail line’s average daily passenger capacity from 240,000 to 320,000.

Further, the completion of the LRT-2 East  Extension Project is expected to help reduce traffic congestion along Marcos Highway, especially in Marikina, Pasig and Antipolo given that road transport passengers will be redirected to riding the train.

At least 1,800 jobs were also generated during the construction of the LRT-2 East Extension Project. The DOTr also projects that 170 rail personnel will be employed to work in the two new stations.

The plan to extend the LRT-2 line from Santolan Station to Marikina-Pasig and then to Antipolo City was has been a part of the Master Plan for Metro Manila since 1999, under the Metro Manila Urban Integration Study (MMUTIS).

The project was approved by the NEDA Board on 04 September 2012, and construction of viaducts started in April 2015.

Actual and full blast construction of the 2 new stations (Marikina-Pasig and Antipolo) started on 20 February 2017 (contract amount: P1.1 billion), while the electromechanical systems contract (contract amount: P3.4 billion) was awarded on 14 December 2018. (DOTr/PIA-NCR)