The Cavite Extension Project of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) is now more than 50 percent complete and is expected to open for partial operations by the end of 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
The DOTr reported earlier this week that the extension project already has an overall progress rate of 51.61 percent as of December 31, 2020.
According to the DOTr, the recent construction activities of the rail extension include bored piling, pier or portal column works, and the construction of train stations.
The accelerated pace of the construction, the DOTr added, also includes the expansion of an existing depot in Baclaran, as well as the building of a new satellite depot at Zapote.
"With a mandate to fast track the construction of said project, partial operations is expected by the end of 2021," the DOTr said.
The project aims to construct an 11.7-kilometer extension of the existing LRT Line 1 from Baclaran Station southward with eight more stations -- Redemptorist Station, MIA Station, Asiaworld Station, Ninoy Aquino Station, Las Piñas Station, Zapote Station, and Niog Station in Bacoor, Cavite.
Upon completion, DOTr said that the project will reduce travel time from Manila to Cavite from an hour and 10 minutes to only 25 minutes.
The extended rail line is also projected to accommodate 300,000 to 500,000 passengers daily.