Social media users were initially appalled at the long staircase being constructed at Marcos Highway in Antipolo City but it is actually part of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 emergency exit.
The ongoing infrastructure project is in front of SM City Masinag, where the LRT-2 Masinag Station is being built as part of the train’s extension project.
Filipinos compared the length of the staircase to the notoriously steep footbridge of the Metro Manila Development Authority found near the MRT GMA-Kamuning Station.
Train stations of the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit have emergency exit passages that provide direct access to the highway below the railway tracks.
Its purpose is to provide emergency exit routes for the evacuation of train passengers and personnel in cases of fire or any untoward incident.
The LRT-2 extension project
Three years ago, the Department of Transportation decided to extend the current tracks of LRT2 from Santolan Station in Pasig to Masinag Station in Antipolo.
Two additional stations from Santolan would be added—Emerald Station near Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall and Masinag Station near SM City Masinag.
It was extended to ease the traffic congestion in Marcos Highway which serves residents of Metro Manila, Rizal and Quezon.
During the groundbreaking ceremony of the LRT2’s extension project, DOTr secretary Arthur Tugade said that the government agency recognizes the need of Metro Manila’s eastern residents to have an accessible means of transportation.
“It will be a timely addition to have both new stations in the LRT Line 2 as we acknowledge the need for greater accessibility of passengers coming from the eastern side of Metro Manila, extending to key areas of Antipolo and its nearby cities,” he shared.
“This increased capacity of 80,000 daily ridership of the rail line will not only provide a means to decongest our roads, but more importantly, offer better riding options to our daily commuters. As we improve the public’s general mobility, we also unburden them from traffic worries,” Tugade continued.
As of October 31, 2018, DOTr announced that the LRT2 extension project is already 57 percent complete.
