The LRT-1 Roosevelt Station in Quezon City reopens to the public on December 5, 2022, after completing its readiness tests, trial runs, maintenance works, and exercises to be integrated into the rail line's new signaling system. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) seeks to complete its west extension project for LRT-2, which will add 3 more stations in Manila, by 2026, its head said on Wednesday.
LRTA administrator Hernando Cabrera said they are just waiting for the budget of the 3-kilometer extension project to be approved. The project's total cost is at P10.1 billion as of September 2020, a transmittal letter showed.
"The moment na maibigay sa atin yung tinatawg natin na multi-year obligational authority, ipapa-bid natin agad ito kasi tapos na lahat ang plano na ito, mayroon tayong consultant dito at talagang ang hinihintay natin ay ang papeles ng ating budget," Cabrera said in a televised briefing.
"Usually kapag nakuha natin ang pondo, publish agad tayo ng invitation sa ating mga bidders. It will take usually 3 to 4 months, ang ating mga bidding, and then mag-start sila," he said.
The extension project aims to build stations in Tutuban (next to Cluster Mall), Divisoria (west of Recto Avenue) and Pier 4, based on the document.
The locations were chosen to "capture commuters using inter-island ferries," said Cabrera.
"Kung maumpisahan natin ang construction this 2023, give us 3 years, mga 2026 matatapos natin yan, magiging operational yan, depende kung mabigyan tayo ng pondo," he added.
The LRTA earlier said that after the project's completion, it will only take commuters 5 minutes to travel from Recto Station to Pier 4, while the travel time between Masinag and Pier 4 will not exceed an hour.
The project will add 16,000 more LRT-2 passengers to the current 240,000 passengers daily, the LRTA had said.