Jakarta. Jakarta’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) Phase 1B project, connecting Velodrome in East Jakarta to Manggarai in South Jakarta, has surpassed the halfway mark, keeping the long-delayed urban rail line on track for a 2026 launch.

As of late June, construction progress stood at 56.8 percent, exceeding targets for the period, according to project officials.

The civil works phase, which includes pier and girder installation and station construction, is advancing along the entire alignment despite the challenges of working in densely populated and high-traffic areas. Project Director Ramdani Akbar said the team is accelerating construction across all segments while closely coordinating with contractors and local authorities to manage traffic disruptions.

“This is already above our target, and we continue to push progress from Velodrome all the way to Manggarai,” Ramdani told Beritasatu.com during a site visit at the Rawamangun station project on Wednesday.

Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), the project developer, aims to complete all civil works by the end of 2025 before moving to system integration and testing. Testing and commissioning are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, a critical phase to ensure seamless integration with the existing Phase 1A line and prepare for full operations.

The Velodrome-Manggarai LRT line is expected to help ease traffic congestion in Jakarta while reducing passenger buildup at the busy Manggarai Station. Phase 1B of the LRT project spans 6.4 kilometers and will feature five stations: Pemuda, BPKP, Pasar Pramuka, Matraman, and Manggarai.

The Jabodebek LRT project, which connects Jakarta with Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi, cost Indonesia a total of Rp 32.6 trillion (around $2 billion) to build, with Phase 1B accounting for Rp 5.5 trillion. The Jabodebek LRT recorded 18 million passengers in 2024, with state-run railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) managing its operations.