Safety first. This is the mindset the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is going with for the inauguration of the soon-to-be-completed LRT-2 East Extension.
The agency has announced that it has delayed the inauguration of the rail project due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the country. Instead of April 26, the LRT-2 East Extension will now be inaugurated on June 23.
This move comes in a bid to prioritize the safety of both commuters and rail workers, the DOTr says. Another reason for the delay is that foreign rail experts who must be present for the final stages of the project—which is already 96.51% complete, by the way—are still unable to enter the country due to travel restrictions.
“As much as we would like to open the project earlier, kailangan pong unahin ang kalusugan at kapakanan ng ating mga rail workers at mananakay,” TJ Batan, DOTr undersecretary for railways, said in a statement.
“Excited po tayo na makitang matatapos na itong long-delayed na proyekto na nagumpisa pa nuong 2012, pero mahalaga din po na lahat tayo ay ligtas, malusog, at higit sa lahat, buhay,” the official added.
Once finished, the LRT-2 East Extension will cut travel time between Manila and Antipolo to just 40 minutes. The project’s completion will also increase the rail line’s capacity by 80,000 passengers per day.
Disappointing news, but this is definitely the right call. Are you looking forward to this project’s completion, too?
