San Miguel Corporation (SMC) yesterday said construction of the P 10-billion Skyway Extension project is moving at a steady pace with safety protocols in place following the government’s go-signal to resume work last May 15.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said that as part of the company’s efforts to get back on track with construction of the project following a 60-day delay due to the enhanced community quarantine, the Skyway Alabang Toll Plaza Southbound Entry will be closed from May 31 to June 15.

Because of the temporary closure, a new traffic scheme will be implemented with the help of the Muntinlupa Traffic Management Bureau (MTMB).

Private cars are advised to take Filinvest Entry and/or National Road to Susana Heights Entry, while trucks and buses are instructed to take National Road to Susana Heights Entry.

“We are happy to report that despite the long delay due to the ECQ and the limited workforce deployed, we’ve been gaining a lot of ground in terms of construction these past two weeks. Workers are also back at the site and earning income for their families. We’re asking for the public’s continued cooperation and kind understanding for any delays our work might cause,” Ang said.

Skyway’s contractor, EEI Corporation, has strictly enforced safety, sanitation and other health measures at the work site. These include: following the basic rules of social distancing, the use of face masks and gloves, and providing hand sanitation and disinfecting facilities, on top of on-site housing, for workers.

“These health and safety measures will remain in place while we work on delivering this critical project to the public,” Ang added.

The project’s original target completion date was December 2020, but the two-month delay is likely to push this back a little.

San Miguel Infrastructure, SMC’s concession holder for the Metro Manila Skyway, said that the closure of the Skyway Alabang Toll Plaza Southbound Entry will make way for bored piling works at the southbound section, starting 6 AM on May 31 until June 15.

At the resumption of the construction, Skyway management also closed about 700 meters of Lane 3 of the Skyway At-Grade section northbound from the old Alabang Entry Plaza. The one-month closure enabled workers to install scaffoldings to build the columns for Pier 34- 49.

The P 10 billion project will extend Skyway from Susana Heights in SLEX to Sucat and back and will provide a direct access to the elevated section of the Skyway. With the direct access to the elevated section of the Skyway, the project is expected to ease traffic to and from the south.

The project will also increase the number of lanes on both directions to five northbound and four southbound.