KUALA LUMPUR: The on-site construction of the Mass Rapid Transit 3 (MRT3) project may only commence in 2027 after Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) completes the land acquisition process, MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said.

He added that the process was currently underway with public inspections taking place until Dec 2.

"After that we should be able to finalise our alignment and start our land acquisition process, which is projected to take up to 24 months, extending into 2026.

"We (MRT Corp) hope that by 2027, the government will have enough capacity to move the project forward. That's my personal target but it depends on the economic situation.

"As we all know, the economy is improving, so give it a few more years and I think it will be solid ground to start," he told reporters at a press conference in conjunction with the Malaysian Construction Industry Excellence Awards 2024 (MCIEA 2024), today.

This year's MCIEA recognised five prestigious categories, including Prominent Player Award, Builder of the Year Award (G7), International Achievement Award, Best Project Award, and Best Contractor.

MRT Corp received the "Best Project Award in Infrastructure (Major Category)" for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit: Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line/Line 2 project.

MRT3, also known as the Circle Line will serve as the final piece of the Klang Valley MRT network, connecting various mass rapid and light rail transits (LRTs) within the national conurbation to form a comprehensive network.

The 51-kilometre rail line can accommodate 25,000 passengers per hour in each direction, with a complete journey on MRT3 taking approximately 73 minutes, or just under one and a quarter hours.

-- BERNAMA