San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is set to soft-open the entire 18-km stretch of the newly-completed Skyway 3 expressway by December. SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang has announced that it will be free for all motorists for an entire month.
The earlier completed Buendia to Plaza Dilaw section of the Skyway 3 has been open to the public and free to use for over a year.
In his Facebook post, Ang said the company was confident that it would be able to open Skyway 3 by December. This, despite continuous rains hampering finishing works, including the laying and proper curing of asphalt. He also committed that for the first month, motorists will be able to use the entire 18-kilometer length of Skyway 3 from Buendia to NLEX for free.
“We’re very proud and excited about this project because it will truly make a big difference to so many people’s lives–especially with our economy slowly opening up and with more vehicles coming back to our roads,” Ang said.
“While we’re still doing a few finishing works, we want the public to be able to use Skyway 3 already and benefit from the convenience and ease of travel that it will bring. We have all waited long for this project, so this is the best way we can welcome everyone, by making Skyway 3 free for one month,” he added.
The project, which took a total of six years to complete due to numerous challenges, including right-of-way issues and major changes to its design and alignment, is seen to greatly improve travel times and traffic conditions in and around Metro Manila. The Skyway 3 connects the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), and will serve as an alternative to EDSA, with its eight access points that traverse Makati, Manila, San Juan, and Quezon City. These access points include Buendia, Plaza Dilao, Nagtahan, Aurora Blvd., Quezon Ave., Sgt. Rivera, Balintawak, and NLEX.
Ang thanked all stakeholders and government partners past and present, for their contributions to making the vision that was Skyway 3 a reality. Privately funded and built by SMC, the Skyway 3 project was completed at no cost to the government. With neither guarantees nor subsidies.
Ang emphasized its many long-term benefits to motorists and the economy:
“With Skyway 3, we will improve the daily commutes and lives of so many Filipinos. We will lessen their time spent in traffic on the road, we can increase both their productivity and time spent with their families,” Ang said. “Apart from this, the transportation of goods from north and south Luzon will also be so much easier, faster, and more efficient. This will be a big boost to our economy and support growth throughout the regions.”
After completing the entire structure of Skyway 3 ahead of its October 31 deadline, SMC also earlier announced that it was targeting to deliver the northbound section of the Skyway extension project, which connects SLEX directly to the Skyway from Susanna Heights in Muntinlupa, by December.
With this, travel from Susanna Heights through the Skyway System including Skyway 3, all the way to the Balintawak toll plaza of the NLEX, will only take 20 minutes. Meanwhile, travel time from Magallanes to Balintawak will be just 15 minutes; Balintawak to NAIA will be just 15 minutes, and Valenzuela to Makati will only take 10 minutes.
For more information about San Miguel Corporation, its subsidiaries, and its other humanitarian projects, visit https://www.sanmiguel.com.ph/.