San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is expediting work on the Skyway Extension project that will make the Skyway System even more accessible to motorists from the south as the company announced road closures to usher construction works at the southbound section starting midnight on February 20.  

Skyway management said that as work on the southbound section is about to enter the advanced phase, motorists are advised to take alternative routes, with the closure of the Alabang southbound exit toll plaza, beside the Alabang viaduct.  

The alternative routes are as follows:  

• Class 1 headed to Alabang or Alabang-Zapote Rd. may take Filinvest Exit Toll Plaza towards their destination.  

• Class 1, 2 and 3 vehicles bound for Alabang, Putatan, and National Road may take the Susana Exit Toll Plaza, turn right at Susana Heights Ave., and turn either left or right on the National Road to their respective destinations.  

Motorists can also expect heavy traffic in the area because of the construction work, which will include the installation of girders, coping beams, and pre-cast slabs.  

“We’re again appealing for patience and understanding from our motorists in the south and residents in the area, for any delays that they may experience, as we work to complete the Skyway Extension. We’ve put in place measures to help mitigate the impact on you and to ensure safety,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.  

“There is no way of getting around this key stage in construction. We really have to do it. It will be a temporary inconvenience, but I promise you, the benefits–eliminating traffic and providing seamless travel–will be well worth it,” said San Miguel Corporation president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.  

The Skyway Extension project is a key feature of the 38-kilometer elevated Skyway system. The Skyway Extension project extends the elevated expressway from Skyway Main Line Toll Plaza in Sucat, Paranaque to Susana Heights at SLEX and back, providing motorists a direct connection to Skyway 1 and 2 and SMC’s recently opened Skyway Stage 3. It will add three lanes going north and two lanes going south.  

Once completed, the Skyway Extension will make travel to and from southern Metro Manila and southern Luzon provinces much faster and more convenient, especially with the new Skyway Stage 3 from Buendia, Makati to the North Luzon Expressway, providing seamless connection to the north.  

“Today, our motorists are already benefiting from travel from Alabang to Balintawak via Skyway 1,2, and 3. Once the Skyway Extension is completed, we will be extending access a little farther down Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX), near the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway.  With this, motorists coming from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas can bypass Alabang–and avoid experiencing or contributing to traffic there–and go straight to their destinations in Makati, Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, all the way to NLEX,” said Ang.  

“Another major benefit of this project will be the decongestion of traffic along major roads to Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, and Cavite. Traffic in areas such as the Alabang-Zapote Road and other roads feeding into SLEX has grown a lot in the past decades, because of more residential and industrial developments. With Skyway Extension’s increased capacity, traffic in these areas will ease and flow more freely,” he added.  

By Alithea De Jesus

After the unexpected freak accident at the Skyway Extension project site in Cupang, Muntinlupa over the weekend, the head of the concession holder San Miguel Corporation (SMC) issued an apology to the victims and assured them that the company would make sure all their needs would be taken care of, and more.

SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said that even while project contractor EEI Corporation was the one handling the construction of the project, as project proponent, SMC has a responsibility to take care of the victims.

“Even with a contractor handling construction, ultimately, we are responsible for the welfare of those who were affected. I would like to personally apologize to the victims and their families, as well as to our larger community in Muntinlupa,” Ang said in his personal apology.

The reported accident happened to be caused by a crane that tipped over as it moved into position, which then hit a steel girder causing it to fall on six vehicles, resulted in one fatality and four injuries.

“This terrible and tragic accident has affected me in ways I can’t even begin to express. I have not stopped thinking about the people who were affected, the four that were injured, and most especially, the person who perished, and his family. There are no words that can ease the grief of losing a loved one,” Ang said.

“To the family, I can only offer my sincerest and deepest condolences and my personal assurance that your family will be taken care of. To those who were injured, please be assured we will provide all the means necessary for you to recover and restart,” he added.

Ang also vowed that the incident will be investigated thoroughly and that SMC and its contractor EEI will make sure even stricter measures are in place at the project site.

“In a project of this magnitude and scale, there are many redundant safety measures in place.  Unfortunately, we can’t predict every outcome, and I’m sure no one wanted this to happen,” Ang said.

“Regardless, we are working with authorities to determine the root cause of this incident. We will find out where lapses occurred and do whatever is necessary to help make sure they don’t happen again.”

Read related story:

https://thephilbiznews.com/san-miguel-corporation-moves-target-completion-of-skyway-extension-project-on-feb-2021/