MANILA - The extension of the LRT-2 will be finished by the last quarter of 2020, the Department of Transportation said Monday during the ceremonial laying of tracks for the line.

Two new stations will be added to the LRT-2, the Emerald Station in Marikina and the Masinag Station in Antipolo.

Once completed, the 4-kilometer extension line is expected to reduce travel time from Antipolo to Recto, Manila to 40 minutes from around 3 hours.

It will also add 80,000 to the train line's current 240,000 ridership, said Transportation Undersecretary Timothy Batan.

The project, which was started in 2013 and broke ground in 2017, is partly funded by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade led the ceremonial laying of the tracks with JICA Philippines Chief Representative Yoshio Wada present.

Tugade said the ceremony signaled the commencement of the project’s final phase.

A joint venture by DMCI and Marubeni Corp will install the electromechanical systems for the line.

The LRT- 2 East Extension Project was originally targetted to be operational by the first quarter of 2019.