-
The Nagtahan northbound and southbound exit ramps of the new Skyway Stage 3 formally opened on April 22
-
The opening of the Nagtahan exit ramps allows motorists to further cut their travel time to Manila
-
Northbound ramps to be opened next include the Quirino exit, Quirino entry, Nagtahan entry, E. Rodriguez Entry, and Sgt. Rivera (C3) exit
-
Southbound access points to be opened soon are the A. Bonifacio entry, Sgt. Rivera (C3) exit, Sgt. Rivera (C3) entry, and Quirino exit
The Nagtahan northbound and southbound exit ramps of the new Skyway Stage 3 are now officially open, concessionaire San Miguel Corp. (SMC) announced.
With the formal opening on April 22 of the Nagtahan exit ramps, motorists can expect to further cut their travel time to Manila, even as traffic congestion on major thoroughfares commonly used to access Sta. Mesa and other nearby areas, is seen to further ease, SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in a statement.
“We are committed to fully delivering the remaining access ramps of Skyway 3 in the soonest possible time. With the Nagtahan exits, motorists coming from both SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) or other points of entry to the Skyway 3, can now opt to get to their destinations in Manila faster, without having to go through traffic, or contribute to traffic on major public roads and busy streets,” Ang said.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, who attended the opening, said SMC is taking advantage of the dry season to fast track completion of ramps “as we want more motorists to reap the benefits of additional interchanges in between Buendia and NLEX.”
“The timely opening of all interchanges will also further reduce traffic along major NCR (National Capital Region) roads, most specifically EDSA, Quezon Avenue, Araneta Avenue, Nagtahan, and Quirio Avenue,” he added.
SMC, which fully funded the Skyway Stage 3 project including acquisition of right-of-way (ROW) properties and reconstruction of public bridges, officially opened the main alignment of the elevated expressway last January. However, due to ROW issues, delivery of some access ramps had to come later.
READ: All seven lanes of Skyway Stage 3 linking SLEX and NLEX to open Jan 15
Ang said northbound ramps to be opened next include the Quirino exit (heading toward Roxas Blvd.), Quirino entry, Nagtahan entry, E. Rodriguez entry, and Sgt. Rivera (C3) exit.
Meanwhile, southbound access points to be opened soon are the A. Bonifacio entry, Sgt. Rivera (C3) exit, Sgt. Rivera (C3) entry, and Quirino exit.
With the opening of the Nagtahan exits, the operational access ramps of Skyway 3 now include the following:
- Northbound – Buendia (Zobel) entry, Quirino Avenue exit, Nagtahan exit, Quezon Avenue exit, Quezon Avenue entry, A. Bonifacio exit and Balintawak exit
- Southbound – Balintawak entry, Quezon Avenue exit, Quezon Avenue entry, E. Rodriguez exit, Nagtahan exit, Plaza Dilao entry, and Buendia (Zobel) exit
SMC recently also opened the four-kilometer (km) northbound section of the Skyway Extension project from Susana Heights to Sucat, allowing motorists from provinces south of Metro Manila to directly access the Skyway system without having to go through the Alabang viaduct.
READ: Skyway Extension northbound section opened
“With the recent opening of Skyway Extension project, motorists from Batangas, Laguna, Cavite now enjoy the convenience of seamless travel to many points in Metro Manila, all the way to NLEX. With work on the southbound section now at an accelerated pace, we are closer to fully realizing seamless connection between southern and northern Luzon,” Ang said earlier.
The 18-km Skyway Stage 3 significantly reduces travel time from Buendia to Balintawak to just 20 minutes, and Alabang to Balintawak to only about 30 minutes.
The Skyway Stage 3 and the Skyway Extension project are part of SMC’s 38-kilometer elevated Skyway System, which aims to reduce traffic congestion along major thoroughfares including EDSA and provide a seamless link from SLEX to NLEX.
