Metro Manila Skyway

The Metro Manila Skyway, officially the Metro Manila Skyway System (MMSS) or simply the Skyway, is an elevated highway serving as the main expressway of Metro Manila, Philippines. It connects the North and South Luzon Expressways (NLEX and SLEX) with access to Ninoy Aquino International Airport via the NAIA Expressway (NAIAX). It is the first fully grade-separated highway in the Philippines and one of the longest elevated highways in the world, with a total length of approximately 39.2 km.

The expressway runs above major existing highways in Metro Manila and the San Juan River. It passes through the highly urbanized areas of Caloocan, Malabon, Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Pasay, Taguig, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa, easing congestion on other major thoroughfares. The Skyway is accessible to Class 1 vehicles (i.e. cars, vans, motorcycles above 400 cc, pick-up trucks, and SUVs), Class 2 vehicles, and public utility vehicles (PUVs). Previously, Class 2 vehicles and PUVs were banned due to the construction of the SLEX Elevated Extension Project in Muntinlupa.

Route


The Skyway connects the North and South Luzon Expressways. It runs above several major roads in Metro Manila, with strategically located entry and exit ramps. The expressway is divided into stages. Stage 3 runs from the North Luzon Expressway, near its Balintawak toll plaza in Caloocan, to Buendia exit in Makati; Stage 1 runs from Buendia to Bicutan in Parañaque, and Stage 2 runs from Bicutan to South Station (Alabang-Zapote) Exit in Alabang, Muntinlupa, and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Elevated Extension, formerly known as the Skyway Extension and also known Alabang South Skyway Extension, from the Skyway Main Line toll plaza in Cupang to the South Luzon Expressway in Putatan, Muntinlupa. Stages 1 and 2 are collectively known as the South Metro Manila Skyway Project.

Until 2020, the Skyway was a dual elevated carriageway with shoulders on both sides for most of its length with six lanes (three in each direction) separated by a median barrier. While four to two lanes were also used from Sucat to South Station. After the completion of Skyway Stage 3 and the SLEX Elevated Extension, the expressway's original stretch was expanded to seven lanes (three lanes northbound and four lanes southbound), five lanes (two lanes northbound and three lanes southbound), and three lanes (one lane northbound two lanes southbound).

From the North Luzon Expressway, the Skyway begins in Libis Baesa, Caloocan, about 1 km south of the Balintawak toll plaza. A possible connection to a future toll road to New Manila International Airport in Bulacan is at that exit. It enters Quezon City and after rising above the Balintawak Interchange (where it crosses EDSA), it turns east towards Circumferential Road 3 (C-3), particularly Sgt. Rivera and G. Araneta Avenues.

The expressway runs south above Gregorio Araneta Avenue until it reaches the San Juan River. The Skyway follows the river to its mouth at the Pasig River in Manila before turning towards the San Miguel Yamamura packaging plant (owned by Skyway concessionaire San Miguel Corporation) in Pandacan. There, it will meet the 1.2 km elevated connecting road to the NLEX Connector in Santa Mesa that will branch off parallel to the Philippine National Railways (PNR) tracks. The main expressway turns east onto Tomas Claudio Street (Paco–Santa Mesa Road) and Nagtahan Link Bridge towards Quirino Avenue (C-2). It then turns towards Osmeña Highway and enters Makati, where the Buendia exit is located.

The expressway rises at the boundary of Osmeña Highway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) known as Magallanes Interchange and returns to its original level after crossing the said interchange. After its interchange with NAIAX, it descends to ground level because of height restrictions on structures near Ninoy Aquino International Airport and parallels SLEX and the PNR tracks at the Pasay–Taguig boundary. The Skyway again rises near the C-5 Exit and Arca South, entering Parañaque and returning above SLEX. At the Sucat Exit, the Skyway rises above the east end of Dr. A. Santos Avenue and descends as it approaches the main toll plaza in Cupang, Muntinlupa. After the toll plaza, it meets the SLEX Elevated Extension which connects it to SLEX past the Alabang Viaduct, narrows to three lanes, and curves west before joining Alabang–Zapote Road near South Station in Filinvest City, Alabang. The extension runs parallel to SLEX along the shoulder of the Alabang Viaduct and Manila South Road, crossing the Alabang and Filinvest exits and descending to merge with SLEX near Pleasant Village and Soldiers Hills.

Lanes
Currently, the expressway is using lane configurations without shoulders to ensure a smooth flow of traffic, as listed below.

7-lane zones
4 lanes northbound and 3 lanes southbound from Sgt. Rivera (C-3/R-10) to Pandacan and again from Quirino to Buendia (Gil Puyat), and 3 lanes northbound and 4 lanes southbound from Buendia (Gil Puyat) to Sucat (Dr. A Santos).

5-lane zones
2 lanes northbound and 3 lanes southbound from Balintawak (NLEX) to Sgt. Rivera (C-3/R-10) and again from Sucat (Dr. A Santos) to Skyway Main Toll Plaza, as well as 3 lanes northbound and 2 lanes southbound from Skyway Main Toll Plaza to SLEX, north of the MCX/Susana Heights interchange.

Development and planning
In 1992, the government proposed the idea of building an elevated expressway from Quirino Avenue in Manila to Alabang, Muntinlupa, spanning 20 km. This project would have been a build–operate–transfer (BOT) scheme, and at the time of its development, Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez won the support of many congressmen to make a proposal to relieve congestion on the existing South Luzon Expressway with a segment between Magallanes and Alabang. In December 1992, House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. sought to build second-storey highways in Metro Manila to ease traffic congestion. At the same time, President Fidel V. Ramos asked the House Speaker and House Public Works Committee Chairman, Rep. Victor Ortega, to pass the solidated five-year Public Works Act before February 1993 to include the proposal of elevated highways in the region.

In 1993, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) conducted a study on the proposed urban expressway system in Metro Manila. The master plan for the planned network was meant to have 150 km of expressways, including a route on the Radial Road 3 (R-3) alignment from Quirino Avenue to Alabang, with the total length of about 20 km. It also included routes on the Quirino Avenue, San Juan River and Circumferential Road 3 (C-3) alignments as the proposed Inner Circumferential Expressway from Adriatico Street in Malate, Manila to Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas, with a length of 17.5 km and on the Radial Road 9 (R-9) alignment from C-3 in Quezon City to North Luzon Expressway in Caloocan, with a length of 3.8 km. In the same year, Metro Manila Skyway was launched.

Jakarta-based investor Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada (CITRA), owned by Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana (a daughter of Indonesian President Suharto), signed a Supplemental Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) in November 1995 with the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) as a grantor and the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) as operator. Negotiations began on October 31, 1994, with a group composed of representatives from the Board of Investments (BOI), the Department of Finance (DOF), AIA Capital as a financial adviser, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the TRB, the PNCC, and CITRA. Under the STOA, Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (CMMTC) was mandated to finance, design, and construct Stage 1 of the South Metro Manila Tollway Project (an elevated expressway from Bicutan to Buendia) and rehabilitate the at-grade portion of the South Metro Manila Tollway project from Magallanes to Alabang. The STOA was approved by President Ramos in April 1996.

Stage 1
Stage 1 involved the rehabilitation of the 13.43 km at-grade portion of South Luzon Expressway from Magallanes to Alabang and the construction of a six-lane, 9.3 km elevated expressway above it from Buendia to Bicutan. Construction of Stage 1 began on November 27, 1995, with actual work beginning in 1996. The girder launching technology was used during the construction. Special girder launchers were used to lift the girders, minimizing the traffic disruption along the South Luzon Expressway. The Magallanes–Bicutan segment was inaugurated by President Joseph Estrada on December 10, 1998, followed by the Buendia–Magallanes segment. The Magallanes and Bicutan exits, as well as Skyway Toll Plazas A and B, were the first to be completed, followed by the Buendia and Makati (now Amorsolo) exits. The Don Bosco exit started its construction on November 17, 2001, and opened on January 3, 2002, and the construction of NAIA Interchange followed, lasting from March 17, 2004, to its completion on May 30, 2009. CMMTC spent US$32.7 million (₱1.57 billion) on the 9.3 km portion of Stage 1.

Stage 2
On April 2, 2009, CITRA announced construction of the second stage; by June of that year, new pillars were constructed. The stage was half done by May 2010, rotating the highest pierhead in the Sucat area. On December 15, 2010, the Bicutan–Sucat portion of Stage 2 opened to the public. Motorists could use this portion free of charge for one week, when Skyway tolls were reduced to its 2007 rates. On April 6, 2011, the Hillsborough ramps, Skyway Main Line toll plaza, and South Station exit were opened to the public toll-free until April 25. Stage 2 extended the toll road by about 6.86 km, from Bicutan to Alabang.

Stage 3


The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received an unsolicited proposal to construct a Skyway extension from San Miguel Corporation-backed Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (CMMTC), which would run from Bicutan, Taguig to Balintawak, Quezon City. The DPWH subjected the proposal to a Swiss challenge, which requires a government agency that has received an unsolicited bid for a project to publish the bid and invite third parties to match (or exceed) it. The project was approved by President Benigno Aquino III in September 2013.

The groundbreaking ceremony of Skyway Stage 3 was held on January 22, 2014, and construction began on February 17. It was expected to be completed in 2017, but the project experienced construction delays. Work stoppages due to the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the project's full opening until late 2020.

During its construction of Stage 3, several drainage lines and electric poles were relocated to give space for the foundations of its expressway. The power transmission line of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), were rerouted. Most notably, the Sucat-Paco-Araneta-Balintawak Transmission Line relocates Araneta-Balintawak segment and Sucat-Paco segment with new steel poles while the old ones were retired.

Originally planned as divided into four segments, the original route was supposed to cross the Pasig River, meet the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road (the present-day NLEX Connector) near the PUP campus, and pass through Santa Mesa district and the city of San Juan. Due to right-of-way issues, however, it could not traverse through Santa Mesa and instead made it turn right from Tomas Claudio Street through the San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation plastic plant in Pandacan towards the San Juan River and to Gregorio Araneta Avenue. A second modification added a fifth segment at the north end which would cross the Balintawak Interchange and connect to the North Luzon Expressway's Balintawak toll plaza in Caloocan, extending Stage 3 to 18.83 km. The new segment raised the possibility of further northward expansion, eventually realized as the NALEX (Northern Access Link Expressway).

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stage 3 project was to have six lanes per direction, and toll collection was supposed to be located at every exit. The planned Toll Plazas A and B were to be located in San Andres, north of the Buendia (Gil Puyat) southbound exit ramp. However, the plans were scrapped due to changes in toll collection to contactless, as well as the widening of the expressway to seven lanes.

Two significant accidents occurred during construction. On August 18, 2019, a coping beam collapsed on vehicles on the North Luzon Expressway, delaying southbound traffic; no injuries were reported. A February 1, 2020 fire at the San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation plastic plant in Pandacan caused a 300 m portion of Stage 3 to collapse, creating a long delay of the project. Fire damage required reconstruction of pierheads and replacement of the burnt girders, delaying the 2020 opening of the segment from April to November. Also, the planned opening was delayed amidst lockdowns due to COVID-19.

The northbound Buendia–Quirino portion opened on July 20, 2018. The Buendia–Plaza Dilao segment was partially opened toll-free on July 22, 2019, and the northbound exit ramp to Quirino Avenue opened on December 23 of that year. On October 13, 2020, San Miguel Corporation announced the final concrete pouring and completion of Skyway Stage 3. Due to rain, however, the asphalt overlay was delayed. On December 29, the remaining segment of Stage 3 (to NLEX) partially opened. It was inaugurated on January 14, 2021, and became fully operational the following day, toll-free until July 12. While work on the expressway was being completed, Stage 3 was closed daily from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am (PST) daily. The segment opened around the clock in August 2021. Some toll plazas and entrance and exit ramps were closed from April 5–8 and May 24–28 for system tests by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).

Work on the elevated 1.2 km link connecting the Skyway with the NLEX Connector began on January 28, 2021, after delays due to right-of-way issues. Other entry and exit ramps were slated to open during the next few months. Toll collection began on July 12, 2021, after delays in toll approval and an operating permit.

In December 2022, it was reported that Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) would take over the spur of the third stage. They sent a letter to the DPWH about requesting to build the 1.2-kilometer (km) interconnection structure. MPTC also wants to build the connector road itself while looking for an alternative alignment that can cross the Pasig River.

SLEX Elevated Extension
First proposed by San Miguel Corporation as the Skyway Extension Project in November 2017, the extension project planned to expand the two-lane section from the Skyway Main Line toll plaza to Alabang–Zapote Road to six lanes (three in each direction) and build an extension from South Station in Alabang to the South Luzon Expressway's Susana Heights exit in Muntinlupa. The SLEX Elevated Extension is the first phase of the corporation's three-year expansion project of all toll roads in southern Metro Manila to ease traffic congestion. In addition to ramps connecting the South Luzon Expressway section near Soldiers Hills and the Skyway main toll plaza, it will include construction of a northbound ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct to the South Station toll plaza and widening of the South Station toll plaza.

Construction of the extension began in August 2019. To facilitate the extension's construction, the Hillsborough ramps were closed and demolished; the northbound on-ramp was closed in 2020, followed by the southbound off-ramp on April 19, 2021. The extension was originally expected to be completed by December 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and construction delays postponed the extension opening until 2021. A November 21, 2020 construction accident on the East Service Road in Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa caused delays. The 3.99 km northbound section of the project was finished on March 24, 2021, and was soft-opened (toll-free until further notice) on April 11. The 3.6 km southbound section then opened on December 10. The extension was inaugurated on February 15, 2022, as the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Elevated Extension Project.

Operations and maintenance
The Skyway is operated and maintained by the Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (SOMCO). SOMCO took over the expressway's operations and maintenance from former operator PNCC Skyway Corporation in January 2008 and was declared to comply with the July 2007 Amended Supplemental Toll Operators Agreement (A-STOA) between the PNCC, Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), which awarded management of the 35 km road to Citra. The Skyway uses the Vendeka toll-collection system. SOMCO controls the Skyway three main operational functions: traffic safety and management, maintenance, and toll collection.

The expressway's concessionaire varies by stage. The concessionaire of Stages 1 and 2 (known as the South Metro Manila Skyway Project), including the at-grade portion of the South Luzon Expressway from Magallanes to Alabang, and SLEX Elevated Extension is SMC Skyway Corporation (formerly Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation, or CMMTC). The concessionare of Stage 3 is SMC Skyway Stage 3 Corporation (formerly Citra Central Expressway Corporation), a subsidiary of Stage 3 Connector Tollways Holding Corporation (S3CTH).

The aforementioned companies are subsidiaries of San Miguel Corporation through SMC Infrastructure.

Skyway Stage 4
The Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME), also known as Skyway Stage 4, is a 32.664 km under-construction expressway from Skyway Stage 2 near Arca South in Taguig to Batasan Road (near Batasang Pambansa Complex) in Quezon City. The expressway is planned to extend to Bulacan. The project aims to provide an alternate route to EDSA, C-5, and other major roads for motorists coming from Rizal and the Calabarzon area to ease traffic congestion. The project's groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 8, 2018, and it was expected to be completed by 2022. As of 2024, however, the project was delayed due to right-of-way issues.

New Manila International Airport link
As a part of San Miguel Corporation's New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project, the concessionaire proposed linking the airport to NLEX and SLEX via Skyway Stage 3. The section of NLEX between its Balintawak toll plaza and Skyway's Balintawak on- and off-ramps mostly in Caloocan has pillars to connect the Skyway northward to a future toll road which will lead to the new airport in Bulakan, Bulacan. The project runs above a toll road operated by NLEX Corporation, another concessionaire.

The toll road project, later known as the Northern Access Link Expressway (NALEX), was approved by the Toll Regulatory Board in June 2022. It would be 19 km long from Skyway Stage 3 to a roundabout in Meycauayan, near the airport. Another 117 km stretch would be built beyond the NMIA roundabout, ending at the southern end of the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway in Tarlac City. When completed, NALEX would be 136 km long. The NALEX project costs ₱148 billion and the first segment is targeted to be completed by 2026.

Southern Access Link Expressway
The Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) is a proposed series of elevated expressways through the western part of Metro Manila. It is part of Component 2 of the Greater Capital Region Integrated Expressways Network. SALEX is a proposed 40.65-km elevated expressway network comprising the Shoreline Expressway and three (3) Metro Manila Skyway Stage (MMSS3) Extensions, namely: C3-R10 Extension, Quirino Extension, and Buendia (Gil Puyat) Extension. SALEX will improve motorists’ access to the NMIA as well as support its surrounding economies.

Bus rapid transit
According to San Miguel Corporation president and COO Ramon Ang, the company began considering bus rapid transit on the Skyway in 2017. The proposed system, announced on April 26, 2021, may have high-capacity point-to-point (P2P) buses, and will be sent to the Department of Transportation when finalized. It aims to make commutes safer and more convenient, maximizing the benefits of the elevated expressway in diverting vehicles from other roads. However, no updates were made.

Tolls
The expressway combines open-road, closed-road, and barrier toll systems. Toll collection is divided between the South Metro Manila Skyway Project and Skyway Stage 3 but are altogether part of the Seamless Southern Tollways program of San Miguel Corporation.

The South Metro Manila Skyway toll system is integrated with the South Luzon (SLEX) and Muntinlupa–Cavite Expressways (MCX). Northbound tolls are collected upon entry on Skyway or NAIAX. Entering motorists from SLEX pay an additional toll at the Main Line toll plaza in Muntinlupa. Tolls are not charged at northbound exits from Magallanes to Buendia, but additional toll fees apply upon exit from NAIAX or Skyway Stage 3. Southbound tolls are collected upon exit from Skyway, NAIAX, SLEX, MCX, or STAR Tollway. No tickets are issued at southbound entrances.

On the other hand, Stage 3 tolls are based on distance and vehicle class. Northbound tolls are collected at either Del Monte toll plaza for exits at Sgt. Rivera, A. Bonifacio, or Balintawak (NLEX), or upon exit elsewhere. Southbound tolls are collected at either Del Monte for exits at Quezon Avenue or G. Araneta, or upon exit elsewhere. Exit toll collection for NLEX Connector (via elevated spur road in Manila) is yet to be determined.

The Skyway uses the RFID-based Autosweep electronic toll collection (ETC) system used on the expressways by San Miguel Tollways. Previously, the transponder-based E-Pass was used. ETC lanes are usually on the left lane of a toll plaza, but mixed lanes also accepting cash exist. More ETC lanes were added at toll barriers as Philippine tollways shift towards cashless toll collection. RFID installation and reloading lanes are also located at selected Skyway toll plazas. Cash is accepted only at South Skyway and some toll plazas of Stage 3.

Class 3 vehicles are currently not permitted to use the Skyway, and trucks are banned on Stage 3 due to safety concerns. The under-construction NLEX Connector is expected to compensate for the restriction, which will bypass the majority of Stage 3 to connect to South Skyway.

The toll rates are as follows: