MANILA – The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 was closed to motorists starting Wednesday night for the conduct of a safety audit.
“We are temporarily closing the Skyway Stage 3 from 10 p.m. Wednesday, January 13 up to 5 a.m. of January 15 to check whether existing measures, as well as features and signages, are effective in preventing accidents of road users,” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.
Villar said the DPWH will conduct an audit to ensure that all systems are in place for the safety of motorists plying the new toll road that connects Skyway in Buendia, Makati all the way to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Balintawak, Quezon City.
“Safety audit, as well as stakeholders’ feedback is necessary as road traffic measures must adapt to fit with the current road situation,” he added.
Although partially-opened, Skyway Stage 3 ramps are still being completed by San Miguel Corporation thru CITRA Central Expressway Corporation (CCEC).
All ramps at Buendia, Quirino, Plaza Dilao and Nagtahan, Aurora Boulevard, E. Rodriguez, Quezon Avenue, Sgt. Rivera, and the NLEX interchange are expected to be completed and opened in 2021.
The project was originally scheduled to be fully operational on January 14.
The Skyway Stage 3 is an 18 km elevated expressway spanning from Buendia in Makati to Balintawak in Quezon City.
At least 55,000 vehicles are expected to be diverted from the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), C5, and other major thoroughfares once it Is completed.
It would also cut travel time from NLEX to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) from two hours to only 30 minutes. (PNA)
