San Miguel Corporation (SMC) reopened on December 1 as scheduled the third at-grade lane of the Skyway and inaugurated a new two-lane steel ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct to the elevated Skyway.
The additional lanes are seen to ease traffic on the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) while construction of the Skyway Extension project is ongoing. Construction of the new ramp and at-grade lane has caused heavy traffic for northbound motorists on SLEX since September this year.
“I know that our motorists from the south—Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas—have a hard time these past two months. Again, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this project has caused,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in a statement.
“Starting today, motorists from SLEX will have up to five lanes northbound during rush hours. This is already a big improvement from just three lanes at the viaduct, before the start of construction.”
The Skyway Extension project is a P10-billion initiative by SMC that will extend the Skyway from Alabang to SLEX near Susana Heights and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway.
The project will allow for an additional capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour northbound, and an additional 3,000 vehicles an hour southbound.
With the traffic measures now in place, Ang said construction of the Skyway Extension will be able to advance. He further appealed to the public for understanding as they fast-track construction to improve the traffic situation.
The Skyway Extension project will be substantially completed by the end of the year and will be fully operational by the first quarter of 2020.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said his department and SMC are fast-tracking the completion of Skyway Stage 3, which is expected to reduce travel time from north to south to 15 to 20 minutes from the current two hours.
Skyway Stage 3 connects Buendia to the North Luzon Expressway, allowing motorists from the south to take the Skyway Extension to bypass the Alabang viaduct and even EDSA.