By December of this year, the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) and North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) will finally be connected, said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary, Mark Villar.
“Siguro by Christmas, ay tapos na po itong Skyway [Stage 3] (hopefully by Christmas, Skyway Stage 3 is finished)," said DPWH secretary, Mark Villar. Once completed, travel time from Makati (Buendia) to Quezon City (Balintawak) will be reduced to only 20 minutes, from the current 1 to 2 hours. If riding on an expressways-legal motorcycle, travel time could be a lot faster.
While initially scheduled to be opened on April 1, 2020, a fire that razed a nearby warehouse in Pandacan caused a section of Skyway Stage 3 to collapse back in February. This pushed the schedule back to July. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic halted all construction activities and further pushed the opening to the end of this year.
The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project (MMSS3) is an elevated expressway from Buendia, Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City with a length of about 18.83 kilometers. It is 2x3 lanes from Buendia to Sgt. Rivera corner A. Bonifacio, Quezon City; 2x2 lanes from Sgt. Rivera corner A. Bonifacio to NLEX Balintawak, Quezon City; and 2x3 lanes elevated roadway structure that will connect to the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project in the vicinity of PUP. The project cost is almost ₱45-billion.
