SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar conduct a final inspection of the northbound section of the Skyway Extension project before its soft-opening on April 11, 2021. SMC is accelerating construction of the southbound section of the Skyway Extension, which is set for completion by the third quarter of 2021. Photo from SMC Media Affairs
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Corporation announced Wednesday that the southbound Skyway Extension construction would proceed at a fast pace to complete the project by the third quarter of 2021.
This new construction project was done after the opening of Skyway Extension’s northbound section last Sunday.
“It’s only been a number of days since we opened the northbound section, free to the public until further notice, and already we have seen a huge improvement in traffic flow, particularly on SLEX and the Alabang viaduct,” said SMC President Ramon S. Ang.
“That makes us even more determined to complete construction of the southbound section, so this project can fully serve motorists and improve traffic and connectivity to and from the south.”
The soft opening of the first two lanes of the Skyway Extension’s northbound road between Susana Heights and Sucat, Parañaque coincided with the government’s lifting of quarantine restrictions, Ang said.
Class 1 vehicles—cars, taxis, jeepneys, vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks—are usually the automobiles that traverse Skyway Extension.
“We’re already seeing how convenient and much faster travel is now, and it will become even more evident when traffic volume picks up and starts to normalize. That is why we’d again like to ask for our motorists’ cooperation and understanding as we move towards completion of the southbound Skyway Extension,” said Ang.
Construction is scheduled to begin on April 19. The Hillsborough off-ramp of the elevated southbound Skyway will be permanently closed at 6:00 a.m.
Due to expected heavy traffic in the area, drivers are advised to exit at the Alabang steel ramp.
“Unfortunately, there is no way around it, we need to close this portion to secure the staging ground for equipment and workers and to accelerate construction and ensure the safety of our motorists. I appeal to our motorists again for their patience and understanding,” said Ang.
“We expect heavy traffic to persist for the duration of the construction, but rest assured we will do everything we can to help mitigate this, and complete the project within the timetable.”
SMC Infrastructure thus advised motorists to take the following alternative routes:
Class 1 vehicles from Pasay, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City bound for SLEX and farther South
• From Skyway Elevated, keep left to Steel Ramp towards destination.
Class 1 vehicles from Pasay, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City bound for Alabang
• From Skyway – Elevated, keep right to Alabang-Zapote off-ramp.