Skyway to open 2 new lanes this year

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) plans to open two lanes of the main alignment of Skyway Stage 3 within the year to mitigate traffic congestion in two major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

"To ease traffic congestion in Edsa (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) and C5, we are targeting to open two lanes, one of the northbound and southbound section(s) of the main alignment of Skyway Stage 3,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.

“By the end of this year, we expect the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, an 18.68-km. elevated expressway stretched over Metro Manila from Buendia, Makati City to Balintawak, Quezon City, to be completed," Villar added.

Once the Skyway is accessible to the public, at least 100,000 vehicles would be diverted from Edsa and C5, and travel time from Makati to Quezon City would be reduced from two hours to just 15 to 20 minutes.

At the same time, the DPWH reported that the right-of-way acquisition for the mainline of Skyway Stage 3 is almost 100 percent delivered.

The overall status of Skyway is now at about 75 percent, with sections 1 and 3 both more than 80 percent completed.

“Other sections are also being fast-tracked to ensure the Skyway’s mainline from Buendia to Balintawak is significantly completed by end of the year,” he said.

The PHP37.43-billion project is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2020.

It will have eight access ramps/interchanges strategically located on Buendia Avenue, (South Super Highway, Makati City), Pres. Quirino Avenue (Malate, Manila), Plaza Dilao (Paco, Manila), Nagtahan/Aurora Boulevard (Manila), E. Rodriguez Avenue (Quezon City), Quezon Avenue (Quezon City), Sgt. Rivera St. (Quezon City), and North Luzon Expressway.