By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 (SS3) section that will link the Skyway system to the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEX–SLEX) Connector, will begin operation next year, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Wednesday.
Once completed, the section will significantly improve travel between the northern and southern parts of Metro Manila.
In a media interview on the sidelines of the inspection of the SS3 project site in Pandacan, Manila, Lopez said the SS3 Section 2a will reduce travel time between Skyway and Buendia from two hours to around 30 minutes, while Skyway to Buendia up to Port Area will take around 25 minutes.
“Ang benepisyo dito ay ang sinasabi ng ating Pangulo [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.] na we have to cut travel time. ‘Yung oras natin na nasasayang sa trapiko, sa congestion sa kalsada ay we can spend more of it sa ating pamilya (Its benefits are in line with the President’s order to cut travel time. The time we waste in traffic can instead be spent with the family),” he said.
The new section of the Skyway is a 1.2-kilometer, 2×2 elevated lane interconnection structure that will serve as an alternate road for traffic passing through R-10, Altura, España and Araneta.
Once operational, it is expected to serve an estimated 30,000 vehicles per day.
Construction and right-of-way acquisition of the project began six years ago in partnership with the San Miguel Corporation.
Toll discount
In a press conference in Malacañang, Lopez also announced a deal with toll operators to provide toll discounts to Class 3 vehicles, such as trucks and buses, to help dampen the effects of rising fuel prices.
“Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa toll operators natin na sila naman po ay sumasang-ayon, kasi we did the numbers, like sa mga bus, makakatipid sila ng mga PHP5 to PHP7, and for a hundred liters, there is PHP7,000 na matitipid din (We thank toll operators for agreeing with the discount, because we did the numbers, and for buses, they can save as much as PHP5 to PHP7, and with 100 liters of fuel, they can save as much as PHP7,000),” he said.
In addition, the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are also studying the reduction of land and take-off fees during the holy week as part of the government’s efforts to cushion the effects of rising oil prices in the transportation sector. (PNA)
