By Emmie V. Abadilla
Ahead of the opening tomorrow of a new, two-lane Alabang-Skyway ramp and the reopening of a third lane at the at-grade section, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang thanked the government for its help.
Ramon S. Ang
"We could not have completed the new ramp and the initial phase of the Skyway Extension without the 'bayanihan' spirit of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTR),” he declared.
“The DPWH, through Secretary Mark Villar, lent us much-needed resources, including bridge construction materials, to ensure that the new ramp will be built in time.”
The ramp is part of preliminary works for the Skyway Extension project, a ₱10-billion initiative by SMC to ease traffic on the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) by giving motorists access to the Skyway from Susana Heights and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).
“With the new ramp and the reopening of the third at-grade lane, northbound traffic will now have up to five lanes during rush hours. This is already a big improvement from what we had prior to the start of construction, which was just three lanes on the Alabang viaduct and Skyway at-grade,” Ang elaborated.
“With this, we expect the current traffic situation to improve, even as we continue construction of the Skyway Extension, which is set for completion by 2020.”
“The DOTR, under Sec. Art Tugade, and the local government of Muntinlupa were also a big help,” according to the SMC President. “Because of their collective efforts and teamwork, we completed all the work needed."
Before the start of construction in late September, average daily traffic on the SLEX stretched between three to 12 kilometers, with much longer jams occurring with vehicular breakdowns and accidents.
The growth in the population and economic activity in Muntinlupa, Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas increased traffic volume.
Worse, the narrowing from five lanes to three lanes at the SLEX-Alabang viaduct area, a design flaw inherited by SMC from the previous concessionaire, caused daily traffic congestion.
But once SMC completes the Skyway Extension, motorists can use five lanes northbound and five lanes southbound, with the option to bypass the Alabang viaduct.
The DPWH and DOTR have also worked in tandem to see to it that the Skyway Stage 3 will be completed by April next year.
“Because of them, many of its right-of-way issues were solved, including those involving Manila Water, Maynilad, Meralco and others. This was a major achievement we are deeply grateful for,” he added. Secretary Villar personally made possible the extension of Skyway 3 from A. Bonifacio all the way to the NLEX Balintawak toll plaza.