Sections of Manila Skyway, C5 South Link to be opened this week

Sections of two roads —the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 and the C5 South Link Project —will be opened to the motoring public this week, the Department of Public Works and Highways said Sunday.

In a statement, the DPWH said the 3.76-kilometer section of the Skyway connecting Buendia to the Plaza Dilao Ramp will be opened on Monday, July 22.

"As promised, we are opening Skyway Stage 3 Section 1 from Buendia to Plaza Dilao Ramp tomorrow," said DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.

"Skyway Stage 3 Section 1 is not fully completed yet but we are opening two lanes, one each for north and southbound so that vehicular traffic will be dispersed from the congested main roads in the area," he added.

The Skyway Stage 3 project is an 18.68-kilometer elevated toll road that will connect Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Balintawak, Quezon City.

The project will have five sections —Buendia to Quirino to Nagtahan (3.76 km.); Nagtahan to Aurora Boulevard/Ramon Magsaysay Avenue (6.19 km.); Ramon Magsaysay Avenue to Quezon Avenue (2.71 km.); Quezon Avenue to Balintawak (4.46 km.); and Balintawak to NLEX (1.56 km.).

The project is estimated to cost P37.43 billion and is envisioned to reduce travel time from Buendia to Balintawak to 15 to 20 minutes from the current two hours.

"We will also open C5 South Link Segment 3A-1 from Merville to C5 this Tuesday, July 23, 2019," said Villar.

The C5 South Link is a 7.70-kilometer expressway connecting the R1 Interchange to the Sucat Interchange.

With a project cost of P12.645-billion, the project aims to reduce the travel time from the R1 Expressway to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to 10 minutes from the current 40 minutes.

"The partial opening of these two toll roads will not be as beneficial as when they are fully realized but it would already provide options to motorists hence spread out traffic better. Rest assured that we are working double-time to complete these projects as soon as possible," Villar said. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/LBG, GMA News