The completion target for Skyway Stage 3 project has been moved by three more months to July 2020 following the collapse of a portion of the road project when a fire razed a nearby warehouse in Pandacan, Manila.
“We are saddened by this unfortunate incident mainly because it will delay a vital infrastructure project that would have alleviated traffic woes of our motorists sooner,” Ramon Ang, president and chief operating officer of concessionaire San Miguel Corporation (SMC), said.
“But rest assured, we will work 24/7 to endeavor to complete the entire project in five months. This is just a 3-month delay from the original opening target,” he added.
Originally expected to open by April 1, Skyway Stage 3 is seen to eliminate choke points and provide motorists seamless connection between north and south. It stretches from Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati and traverses through San Juan, Manila and Quezon City all the way to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). Upon project completion, motorists may only take 15 minutes to travel from Buendia to Balintawak.
A fire broke out on February 1 at a warehouse of San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp.’s plastic plant in Manila.
SMC said its initial investigation showed that the fire was a freak accident that could have started at the DMCI construction yard and eventually spread to San Miguel’s plastics warehouse, which was located nearby and being relocated out of Pandacan.
The relocation is part of the company’s efforts to clear its properties in Pandacan in consideration of Skyway and future projects. Earlier, SMC had completely removed subsidiary Petron Corporation’s oil depot facilities in the area.
“We continue to liaise with the concerned authorities to address all issues pertaining to the incident. It is fortunate that no one was harmed and we thank everybody who took the time to help fight the fire,” Ang said.
Recently, SMC proposed the use of the Pandacan property to build a major, integrated transport and food terminal to help further decongest the main entry and exit points to Metro Manila.
Photo from San Miguel Corporation
