SLEX traffic seen to ease with third lane, new ramp opening

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer, Ramon S. Ang, said that traffic on the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) is expected to ease with the Dec. 1 re-opening of the third lane of the Skyway at-grade level, and the opening of a new, two-lane ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct to the elevated Skyway.

To make this possible, Skyway reconfigured and maximized the first section of the elevated Skyway coming from the Alabang-Zapote road to three lanes, from the original two. With the new ramp connecting to the elevated section, northbound traffic from SLEX can be accommodated without significantly impacting traffic coming from the Alabang-Zapote road. The original design for the Alabang-Zapote road Skyway ramp, built by the previous concessionaire, is one lane northbound and one lane southbound. At certain times in the morning, when traffic is heaviest, both lanes are used for northbound traffic.

The advantage of the new three-lane configuration at the start of the elevated portion is that lane assignments can be easily adjusted depending on traffic volume.

These measures are part of preparations for the construction of the Skyway Extension, a P10 billion SMC initiative to extend Skyway from Alabang to SLEX near Susana Heights and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).

Set for completion by December next year, it will add three northbound lanes and 2 southbound lanes on either side of the existing SLEX. It will allow both northbound and southbound motorists to bypass the Alabang viaduct.

With the Dec. 1 opening on track, SMC is delivering on a promise to reopen the third-lane of the at-grade Skyway before the Holiday rush, and improve Alabang traffic by adding new lanes.

As part of continuing efforts to manage traffic, Ang said that SMC’s tollway unit is mobilizing all traffic personnel to ensure efficient flow of traffic. They are also increasing the number of signs and providing advisories to motorists.