Despite delays brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is on track to deliver the entire northbound section of the Skyway Extension project by December this year.

SMC president Ramon S. Ang said that construction works are now at an accelerated pace at the northbound section, from the Soldiers Hills area to the Sucat Mainline Toll Plaza, to meet the December target.

Originally, target completion for the section was July 2020, but this was delayed due to the enhanced community quarantine starting mid-March.

Contractors for SMC returned to work in May after a two-month lockdown, to push the construction schedule.

“Because of the delays and restrictions brought on by the lockdown, we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments. But we are on track to deliver the entire northbound section of the Skyway Extension by end of this year,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang.

“When we open this northbound section, motorists will enjoy smoother and faster trips from Calamba going to Makati and other parts of Metro Manila. By improving traffic flow and reducing congestion, this project will also help in accelerating trade and tourism, particularly south of Metro Manila. That is something we need to further help our economy during this pandemic, and after it,” he added.

To meet the new construction schedule, Ang said contractors need to close the northbound Skyway on-ramp section before Sucat in the vicinity of Amkor Anam, starting August 24 at 10 A.M. to install the remaining bored piles from Piers 1-7.

With the closure, northbound Class 1 vehicles may continue to access the steel ramp towards the elevated section of the Skyway.

All Class 2 vehicles including buses and vans meanwhile should take the At-Grade section.

Skyway Management laid out the new traffic scheme to ease travel conditions for those affected by the closure of the northbound on-ramp:

Open 24/7

* •          Steel Ramp – Open to Class 1 only: ETC and cash-paying motorists going northbound.

* •          Hillsborough Southbound Ramp

* •          Alabang – Zapote Southbound Ramp

Open from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

* •          Steel Ramp Southbound

Open from 9:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. the next day

* •          Alabang-Zapote Northbound Ramp

To ensure responsiveness to actual traffic situations at any given time, Skyway said that the traffic scheme may be changed from time to time depending on traffic volume.

Motorists are advised to check @SkywaySOMCO and @OfficialSLEX– for live traffic updates on Twitter.

Currently, of the 92 bored piles northbound, 85 have already been completed. Fabrication of other components such as unibridge and concrete slabs is ongoing.

The entire Skyway Extension Project is expected to be delivered by middle of next year, when the southbound section, from Sucat to Soldiers Hills, is completed.