San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will resume construction of the Skyway Extension project, halted by two months of community quarantine, on Friday, May 15 following the issuance of guidelines by the government’s Inter Agency Task Force (IATF).

SMC, through its San Miguel Infrastructure, is the concession holder of the Metro Manila Skyway.

With its contractor returning to the job site, SMC said the development will partially mitigate delay in the delivery of the project, originally scheduled for December 2020. The company however said it is unable to determine yet a new completion date, given that only a limited number of workers can be deployed by contractor EEI Corporation as part of the quarantine measures identified.

The project is seen as key to reducing traffic in southern Metro Manila, particularly the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Alabang area while allowing motorists from the south direct access to the elevated Skyway and beyond.

“We have been given the go-signal by government to resume work on the Skyway extension, and while we cannot yet go full blast, we will do whatever we can to deliver this project as close as we can to the original deadline. We have to work smart, be efficient, and most of all, keep the workers safe,” said SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang.

For a one-month period, Skyway management said that it will close about 700 meters of Lane 3 of the Skyway At-Grade section northbound from the old Alabang Entry Plaza.

This is to enable workers to install scaffoldings to build the columns for Pier 34- 49.

Skyway assured that safety, sanitation and other health measures are already in place at the construction site, even prior to the resumption of construction.

Workers will follow the basic rules of social distancing and put on face masks and gloves. There will also be adequate hand sanitation and disinfecting facilities including the availability of soap, water, and hand sanitizer.

Workers will also be housed in on-site facilities provided by the company.