The Cavite Extension Project of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) is now deemed over 58 percent complete following the installation of the girder along the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex).
"After nearly two decades of delay, the overall progress rate of all components of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension is unstoppable at 58.03 percent as of July 2021," the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday, August 11.
According to the DOTr, the project uses a "Full Span Girder Launching," a new building method that is faster than the traditional pre-casting methods. Under this new method, each girder is placed by special equipment, thus expediting construction.
The department added that the girders will no longer have to be transported on-road, which means they will not contribute to traffic congestion along the areas affected by the construction.
Upon completion, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project is expected to increase the train line's daily ridership from 458,000 to 800,000. Travel time from Manila to Cavite will also be significantly reduced to 25 minutes from the current 70 minutes.
The project aims to construct an 11.7-kilometer extension of the existing LRT-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.