Metro Manila Skyway
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|---|---|
| Metro Manila Skyway | |
| Route information | |
| Length: |
16.3 km (10.1 mi) including Stage 2 |
| Major junctions | |
| North end: | Intersection of Gil Puyat Avenue and South Luzon Expressway, Barangay San Isidro, Makati |
| South end: | South Luzon Expressway and Bunye Road, Alabang, Muntinlupa |
| Location | |
| Major cities: | Makati, Pasay, Taguig, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa |
| Highway system | |
| Highways in the Philippines | |
The Metro Manila Skyway is a fully grade separated elevated highway and motorway serving as the main expressway in the southern parts of Metro Manila, crossing over much of the existing South Luzon Expressway. It is located within the Metro Manila portion of the SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) from Gil Puyat Avenue(C-3 Road) to the Alabang-Zapote Road (AH-26) and crosses through the highly urbanized areas of Makati, Pasay, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa, relieving the South Luzon Expressway from heavy traffic.
The Skyway is the first fully grade-separated highway in the Philippines. It is still under improvement and maintenance though, for there are still several missing segments.
Route Description
The Skyway begins in Barangay San Isidro, Makati, and ends with the NAIA Expressway in the Parclo intersection of SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and the Sales Road in Makati. The Skyway will be rerouted with the assemblage of the entrance ramps shortly after crossing the C-5 Road Exits in Merville, Parañaque. The Skyway will then follow the route of SLEX, sending down exit and entrance ramps on selected exits in SLEX until it ends in Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa.
History
With the opening of the Skyway system, Filipino motorists are treated to a toll road network as traffic at the South Luzon Expressway considerably improved with the additional roadway capacity, rehabilitated roads, upgraded and newly constructed facilities.
On November 27, 1995, PT CITRA, an investor, entered into a Supplemental Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) with the Republic of the Philippines, through the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), as grantor, and the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) as operator. The STOA was the result of negotiations among the parties which officially began on October 31, 1994 with the organization of the Technical Working Group composed of representatives from the Board of Investments (BOI), the Department of Finance (DOF), AIA Capital as financial adviser, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the TRB, the PNCC, and the PT CITRA Group.
Under the STOA, CMMTC was mandated to finance, design and construct stage 1 of the South Metro Manila Tollway Project, consisting of both an elevated expressway from Bicutan to Gil Puyat and integrating into it the upgrade and the rehabilitation of the at-grade portion of the South Metro Manila Tollway project, consisting of both an elevated expressway from Nichols to Alabang, are considered as an integrated system of the South Metro Manila Tollway : Stage 1. The STOA was duly approved by the former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos on April 7, 1996.
In January 1997, TRB and CMMTC, together with the project contractor Hutama RSEA JO. Inc. independent consultants to the TRB Pertconsult International Philippines, consulting engineers Renardet S.A., Inter-Structure System, Inc., Design Science Incorporated, DMJM International USA, and design consultants Pacific Consultants International, in association with J.P. Cancio & Associates, completed a survey for rehabilitation works required on the at-grade portion of the SLEX from Nichols to Alabang. CMMTC has spent $32,746,652.19 in the Skyway Project Phase 1.
Construction began on August 24, 1995. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), Makati, Magallanes Village, Skyway Toll Plazas A and B and Bicutan Exits were first to be completed on December 26, 1997. The Don Bosco Exit began its construction on November 17, 2001 and was completed on January 3, 2002. NAIA Terminal 3 Exit was in construction between September 5, 2004 and 2010.
On February 2007, the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao together with the PNCC and the Philippine Government approved and signed the extended STOA.
At present, the Skyway System is now being operated by the Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (SOMCo.), which replaced the PNCC Skyway Corporation in its tollway management and other related functions.
On April 2, 2009, Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. announced it will start construction on the second stage of the Skyway by the end of the week.[1] By June 2009 the construction of new pilars is going on.
On May 4, 2010, The Skyway Stage 2 is 50% done and Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. rotated highest pierhead in Sucat area.
On July 25, 2010, The Skyway Stage 2 is 65% done, DMCI has finished concreting 134 of the required 238 spans, and has started asphalt overlay.
On December 15, 2010, The Bicutan-Sucat portion of Stage 2 finally opened to the public. The Skyway reverted its toll rates back to its 2007 levels last December 22, 2010. By this time, motorists can use this portion for free.
On April 6, 2011, Hillsborough exit ramp, Alabang toll plaza, and South Station Exit were opened to the public. It is toll-free until April 25. And the existing toll plazas in Nichols had stopped collecting transactions instead, the toll plazas in Bicutan, Sucat and Alabang will collect fees. The temporary ramp in Bicutan from/going to SLEX was closed and was replaced by the new ramp in front of Hillsborough, which allows traffic to enter and exit the Skyway from the service roads.
Stage two will extend the existing 9.5-kilometer Gil Puyat (Buendia)-Bicutan elevated toll road by about seven kilometers, from Bicutan to Alabang. The construction area at the median section of the toll road in Bicutan will be initially extended to Sucat and fenced off with concrete barriers.
Stage three is a proposed 13-kilometer project extending from Gil Puyat (Buendia) to Mindanao Avenue, connecting North Luzon Expressway to South Luzon Expressway via Segments 9 and 10 of the NLEX Phase 2.
On February 7, 2013, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Valenzuela to construct the Manila North Harbor Link (NLEX Phase 2 or Segment 10).
Skyway's new toll rates will occur on April 26, 2011.
Skyway's operator and functions
The rehabilitated at-grade portion of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) from Nichols to Alabang and the elevated Expressway from Buendia to Bicutan is now being called the Metro Manila Skyway System. It is operated by the Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (SOMCo), a company of the existing PNCC – concession holder, Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation. SOMCo took over the operations and maintenance of the Skyway from the former operator, PNCC Skyway Corporation, effective January 2008 and was established in compliance to the provision stipulated in the July 2007 Amended Supplemental Toll Operators Agreement (A-STOA) between the PNCC, Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), which gave the management of the 35-kilometer toll road to Citra.
Starting 2008, SOMCo is in charge of the three major operational functions, mainly: the traffic safety and security, the maintenance of facilities, and the toll collection.
Metro Manila Skyway projects and maintenance
South Metro Manila Skyway project stages
South Metro Manila Skyway is composed of Stages 1, 2 and portions of 3 of the whole Metro Manila Skyway Project.
Stage 1
Stage 1 involves the rehabilitation of the Magallanes-Alabang at-grade portion and the construction of a 6 lane, 10 kilometer elevated expressway from Gil Puyat (Buendia) to Bicutan. Stage 1 started on April 7, 1995 and was completed and opened on October 1999.
Stage 2
Stage 2 involves the construction of a 7-kilometer Elevated Expressway from Bicutan to Alabang's South Station, which began in the 2nd quarter of 2009 and was completed in April 2011. The Bicutan to Sucat segment opened on December 15, 2010, while the new Alabang toll plaza, and the Hillsborough and Alabang South Station exit ramps opened on April 6, 2011.
Stage 3
Due to heavy traffic in Metro Manila, the government proposed to build Skyway Stage 3, involving in most metropolitan areas with a length of 14.8 km. This connects between North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway. Construction will start on April 2014 and it will expected to be completed in June 2016.
Technical specifications
- Name: Metro Manila Skyway
- Concession Holder: Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation
- Operator: Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (SOMCo.)
- Length: 17 km
- Concession starting date: August 24, 1995 (it will start after the rehabilitation, modernization, and extension of the Alabang-Santo Tomas segment)
- Concession ending date: 2010
- Highway exits: 10
- Exit ramps: 3
- Toll plazas: 2
- Height: 11 meters (San Martin De Porres-Bicutan, Don Bosco-Gil Puyat, Makati CBD Exit and Hillsborough-Alabang), 43 meters (Bicutan-Toll A, and Sales-Don Bosco), normal (Toll A-B), 19 meters (Bicutan Exit, Sucat)
- Spurs: 3 (Makati CBD, Sales, and Bicutan); 6 (including Sucat, Hillsborough, Alabang, and Filinvest - for future expansion)
Exits
- Exits are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as Kilometer 0. It starts with KM 6. Like the SLEX but unlike the NLEX and the U.S. Highways, the exits starts from north to south.
Current Exits/Entrance
| Kilometer No. | Exit | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Buendia (Gil Puyat) Exit Ramp | Makati | This is an Exit ramp from/going to Osmeña Highway (SLEx) and to Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia). | ||
| 7 | Makati Exit | This exit leads to a 4-lane spur road that curves left and descends to merge onto Amorsolo Street in the business village of Legaspi. Accessible only for northbound motorists. | |||
| 7 | Don Bosco Exit | This exit on the northbound Skyway provides access to the Don Bosco Street intersection on the main SLEX. | |||
| 9 | Magallanes Exit | This ramp is an access to the Skyway for southbound and to the SLEx for the Northbound. | |||
| 9 | NAIA Terminal 3 Exit | Pasay | This exit leads to an elevated expressway called NAIA Expressway leading to the NAIA 3 terminal on Andrews Avenue, it can be accessed from both Northbound and Southbound lanes of the Skyway. | ||
| 14 | Dona Soledad Exit(Bicutan Exit) | Parañaque | This is an exit leading to Doña Soledad Avenue in Bicutan, Parañaque City. This is the former southern terminus of the Skyway before extending it to Muntinlupa. | ||
| 18 | Dr. Arcadio Santos Exit (Sucat Exit) | This is an exit leading to Dr. Santos Avenue, or Sucat Road. | |||
| 19 | Skyway Alabang Main Toll Plaza A | Muntinlupa | This replaced the former Skyway toll plaza in Nichols, Pasay. | ||
| 19 | Skyway Alabang Main Toll Plaza B | This is the second toll plaza. | |||
| 20 | Hillsborough Exit/Entry Ramp | This replaced the San Martin de Porres Temporary Exit Ramp. This serves as the entry and exit point for motorists on the service roads. | |||
| 22 | Alabang South Station Exit/Entry Ramp | This is an Entry/Exit Ramp to the Alabang South Station in Alabang, Muntinlupa. It also leads motorists to the Alabang-Zapote Road. This is the current southern terminus. | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Future expansion
On July 23, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced in her State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the Metro Manila Skyway will be extended and link the missing segment from Bicutan to Alabang, also called the Metro Manila Skyway Phase 2. In the future, it will extend further to the North Luzon Expressway via Manila and Caloocan. The road widening in Filinvest Exit, its future exit, Putatan Temporary Exit Ramp (near Shell Southbound – Muntinlupa) is now almost complete (See South Luzon Expressway). Initially, the construction of the Phase 2 and painting of the posts was started at the San Martin de Porres Temporary Exit Ramp. Now, the construction of the Phase 2 is the further rotation of beams and placing girders since after the pillar construction reached Alabang, but it is expected to be complete by May 2011. The completion of Bicutan to Sucat section of the elevated toll road, including the slip ramps and opening to traffic is on December 2010. The construction is part of the South Luzon Expressway's Expansion and Upgrading Project of the Philippine Government.
When Phase 2 is complete, the San Martin de Porres Temporary Exit will be removed so the vehicles will exit in Sucat and Alabang, as its exits, going to the South Luzon Expressway.
The PNCC Skyway Corporation awarded the FF Cruz Construction Corporation as the main contractor responsible for the Phase 2 Project. Unfortunately, due to delays of pillar construction, DMCI is now the main contractor for Phase 2 which replaced FF Cruz since March 2009.
Stage 2 opened on April 6, 2011
Skyway Stage 3 will extend the Skyway northwards and link the missing segment from Gil Puyat (Buendia) to Mindanao Avenue and Balintawak. It will be connected to North Luzon Expressway. This stage is currently under finalization. Currently, the government has reportedly accepted two proposals one from Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC which is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), that runs NLEX and SCTEX, to build the 13.24-kilometer road which mostly of its right-of-way is via the Street of the C-2 Road & Juan Luna connecting Skyway from NLEX via Mindanao Avenue. And the other is from Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (CMMTC), which runs the Skyway and STAR Tollway, to build their version from Skyway Buendia to NLEx Balintawak which will run through several major thoroughfares along Metro Manila namely Quirino Avenue, Lacson Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard, G. Araneta/Sgt. Rivera Avenue, and A. Bonifacio Avenue.
Stage 3
CMMTC Proposal
Dubbed as the "Skyway Stage 3", the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had received an unsolicited proposal for the construction of the elevated toll road Skyway’s extension from San Miguel Corp. backed Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. (CMMTC) which according to their proposal will run from Bicutan, Taguig to Balintawak, Quezon City.
The DPWH plans to include the project in its PPP thrust and plans to subject the proposal to a Swiss Challenge, Public Works Undersecretary Romeo S. Momo said in a telephone interview on Friday. A Swiss challenge requires a government agency which has received an unsolicited bid for a project to publish the bid and invite third parties to match or exceed it.
MPTDC Proposal
Meanwhile a year before the CMMTC proposal was unveiled NLEX concessionaire subsidiary Metro Pacific Tollway Development Corporation (MPTDC) through its Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) submitted their proposal which is dubbed as "Segment 11 or the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road" in the NLEx Phase 2 project which involves the construction of a 13.24 kilometer Elevated Expressway from Buendia (Skyway Stage 1) to the C-3 Road which will connect to the NLEx via Segment 10 of the NLEx Phase 2 project in which most of the elevated roadway will be located above the C-2 Road Right-Of-Way.
According to DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson the MPIC Proposal would likely be pushed through along with the CMMTC proposal as the proposals can co-exist as the projects service two different corridors of the metro.[2]
Future Exits/Entrance
| Kilometer No. | Exit | Location | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Manila North Harbor Exit (NLEX Segment 10) | Caloocan | This will be an entry to Manila North Harbor and NLEX via NLEX Segments 10 and 9 (C-5 North Extension). | ||
| TBA | C-3 Road 5th Avenue Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at 5th Avenue in Grace Park, Caloocan. | |||
| TBA | R-10 Manila Bay Exit/Entry Ramp | Manila | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at R10 in Tondo, Manila. | ||
| TBA | España Boulevard Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila. | |||
| TBA | Rizal Avenue Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Rizal Avenue in | |||
| TBA | Pedro Gil Street Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Pedro Gil Street in | |||
| TBA | R-6Calle Legarda Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Legarda Street in Sampaloc, Manila. | |||
| TBA | Zamora Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Zamora Street in | |||
| TBA | Balintawak Exit/Entry Ramp | Quezon City | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at EDSA in Balintawak, Quezon City. | ||
| TBA | C-3 Road Sgt. Emilio Rivera Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Sgt. Rivera Avenue in Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City. | |||
| TBA | R-7 Quezon Avenue Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Pres. Quezon Avenue in San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City. | |||
| TBA | E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard in New Manila, Quezon City. | |||
| TBA | R-6 Aurora Boulevard Exit/Entry Ramp | Manila | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Aurora Boulevard in Santa Mesa, Manila. | ||
| TBA | Plaza Dilao Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Plaza Dilao in Paco, Manila. | |||
| TBA | C-2 Road Quirino Avenue Exit/Entry Ramp | This will be an Entry/Exit Ramp at Pres. Quirino Avenue in Paco, Manila. | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Former Exits/Entrance
| Kilometer No. | Exit | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Skyway Nichols Toll Plaza A | Pasay | The former Main Toll Plaza for cash and E-Pass Users, it is situated at both lanes. |
| 10 | Skyway Nichols Toll Plaza B | The former Main Toll Plaza for E-Pass Users only situated on the Northbound lane. | |
| 15 | San Martin de Porres Temporary Exit Ramp | Parañaque | This was the temporary ramp leading down to SLEx before the construction of Skyway Stage 2. It was then removed when the permanent ramp in Hillsborough was opened to the public. |
Toll Fees (VAT-inclusive)
| Class | Amount (current as of October 17, 2011) |
|---|---|
| Class 1 (Cars, Motorcycles, SUVs) |
PhP 164 |
| Class 2 (Buses, Light Trucks) |
PhP 329 |
| Class 3 (Heavy Trucks) |
PhP 493 |
See also
References
- ↑ Skyway Stage 2 Starts Construction
- ↑ Skyway Stage 3/ NLEx-SLEx Connector Road Projects being finalized
External links
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