Ongoing work at the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project (MMSS3) has made quite a lot of progress in the past months, and if all things proceed as planned, the project will be open to motorists by December 2020.
YouTuber dmitrivalencia has been documenting the progress of the MMSS3 project and has recently posted a 38-minute video, stitching together footage from on-ground cameras, dash cams, and even aerial drones.
The video documents different sections of the Skyway in various stages of completion. Section 1 of the Skyway stretching from Osmeña Highway-Buendia intersection all the way to Plaza Dilao was already partially opened last July 2019, with new on-ramps and off-ramps for both northbound and southbound lanes. Sections 2 and 3 have also seen significant improvements, while on Section 4 and 5, only a few ramps remain to be girded.
Along the main line, girders have been installed to fill the gaps between the missing spans. The entire stretch of the project seems to be completely linked, though it still needs asphalt for pavement. Once fully open, the P44.86B elevated bypass road will allow motorists to skip the busy thoroughfares of Metro Manila while travelling from south to north.
December 2020 opening seen
Back in September 17, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Mark Villar said that the government is looking to finish project before the end of the year.
“Nandito po tayo sa Skyway Stage 3, at makikita nyo naman po na halos malapit nang matapos ang project. Bahagi po ito ng EDSA decongestion program ng ating Pangulo (Rodrigo Duterte) at target po namin ay December, by Christmas, tapos na po ito ng Skyway. Napakalaking bagay, from Makati to Quezon City dati ay pwede umabot ng isang oras at kalahati to two hours, 20 minutes na lang pag natapos itong Skyway,” Villar explained in a Facebook video.
Project status update from DPWH
Meanwhile, the DPWH website also posted the current status of the sections forming the multi-billion peso PPP project:
- Section 1: Buendia, Makati to Quirino Avenue to Nagtahan (3.76km) 90.67% accomplishment
- Section 2: Nagtahan to Aurora Blvd./Ramon Magsaysay Avenue (6.01km) 77.23% accomplishment
- Section 2A: Nagtahan to Tomas Claudio to PUP, Sta. Mesa (2.08) 0% accomplishment
- Section 2B: Tomas Claudio to Ramon Magsaysay Ave/San Juan River (3.93km) 94.39% accomplishment
- Section 3: Ramon Magsaysay Avenue to Quezon Avenue (2.71km) 96.86% accomplishment
- Section 4: Quezon Avenue to Balintawak, Quezon City (4.46km) 75.67% accomplishment
- Section 5: Balintawak, Quezon City to NLEX Footbridge (1.89km) 83.56% accomplishment
Fast tracking repairs for fire-damaged section
Concessionaire Citra Central Expressway Corporation (CCEC) has been hard at work in repairing the collapsed Pandacan-Yamamura portion that was damaged by fire in February.
According to the latest reports, all the lower and upper coping beams for pier 3, 4, 5 were already reconstructed, while the deck slab for spans 5 and 6 were completed. An entire section spanning 300 meters had to be replaced because of the accident.
Although work was suspended March 16 to May 15 due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon, the current rate of progress makes the DPWH optimistic that the Skyway 3 will be fully open just in time for Christmas.
Watch the 38-minute video about Skyway 3 below:
