Newly completed Skyway 3 will be toll-free in Dec. — San Miguel

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) on Tuesday said it will soft-open the newly completed Skyway Stage 3 project in December.

“For the first month, motorists can use the entire 18-kilometer length of Skyway 3 from Buendia to NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) for free,” SMC said in an e-mailed statement.

The P70-billion project links Gil Puyat Ave. in Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway toll plaza in Balintawak, Quezon City.

The company announced on Oct. 13 that it had completed the project ahead of the original Oct. 31 schedule.

“While we’re still doing a few finishing works, we want the public to be able to use Skyway 3 already and benefit from the convenience and ease of travel that it will bring,” SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said.

The project has five sections: Gil Puyat Ave. (formerly Buendia Ave.), Makati – Quirino Ave. – Nagtahan; Nagtahan – Aurora Blvd./Ramon Magsaysay Ave.; Ramon Magsaysay – Quezon Ave.; Quezon Ave. – Balintawak, Quezon Ave.; and Balintawak, Quezon City – NLEX Footbridge.

SMC also plans to finish the northbound section of the Skyway Extension project, which aims to provide additional lanes and connect SLEX to the Skyway near Susanna Heights and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway by December.

“With this, travel from Susanna Heights through the Skyway System including Skyway 3, all the way to the Balintawak toll plaza of the NLEX, will only take 20 minutes,” SMC said.

“Travel time from Magallanes to Balintawak will be just 15 minutes, Balintawak to NAIA will be just 15 minutes, and Valenzuela to Makati will only take 10 minutes,” it added. — Arjay L. Balinbin