Metro Manila Skyway

On the northbound lane of the Skyway.

The Metro Manila Skyway is an elevated highway crossing over much of the existing South Luzon Expressway as of the moment. It is located within the Metro Manila portion of the SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and crosses through Makati City, Pasay City, Parañaque City, and Muntinlupa City. The Skyway begins in Barangay San Isidro, Makati City, and ends in Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa City. In the future, it will extend further to the North Luzon Expressway via Manila and Caloocan City.

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.

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

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 City 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 PNR 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 expansion

The two approved proposals of MNTC and CITRA over Metro Manila

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.

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 tracks of the Philippine National Railways 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, A.H. Lacson Avenue, Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, G. Araneta/Sgt. Rivera Avenue, and A. Bonifacio Avenue.

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 KM6 because this is a part of the SLEx system

Current Exits/Entrance

Future Exits/Entrance

Former Exits/Entrance

Toll Fees (VAT-inclusive)

See also

• South Luzon Expressway
• North Luzon Expressway
• Philippine National Construction Corporation

References

1. ^ Skyway Stage 2 Starts Construction
2. ^ Skyway Stage 3/ NLEx-SLEx Connector Road Projects being finalized

Links

• Metro Manila Skyway Official Website

v t e Philippine Expressways Operational Bataan Provincial Expressway (BPEx) Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) Metro Manila Skyway (MMSW) NAIA Expressway North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway) Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) Subic-Tipo Expressway (NLEx Segment 7) Planned Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALA) Cebu Trans-Axial Expressway Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Aurora Expressway (TNAEx) North Luzon West Expressway (NLWE) North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) Pasig River Expressway Metro Manila Skybridge Under construction Bulacan-Rizal-Manila-Cavite Regional Expressway (C-6) Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx)