The first phase of the P45-billion Southeast Metro Manila expressway (C6) from Skyway in Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) Taguig to C5/Diego Silang will be operational by 2022, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Based on the DPWH’s projected schedule, the public may expect the opening of San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) C6 project in 2022.
SMC, through unit Citra Intercity Tollways Inc., broke ground for the project in January 2018, but actual construction for section 1 started last year and is expected to be completed in 33 months or by fourth quarter of 2021, according to the DPWH website.
The entire C6 expressway project is a 32.7-kilometer stretch composed of six sections from Skyway/FTI all the way to Batasan Complex in Quezon City.
At present, civil works for the C6 project section 2 from C5/Diego Silang to C6/Taguig is ongoing, while the remaining four sections are undergoing pre-acquisition activities such as staking out, tagging, census, validation and structural measurements.
The expressway is expected to decongest roads in Manila and Quezon City, particularly major road networks such as Edsa, C5, Ortigas Avenue and Ortigas Extension.
The project will be a six-lane elevated and at-grade expressway with two-directional traffic.
It is also seen to provide commuters from Metro Manila and the south faster and direct access to the country’s major airports.
Meanwhile, DPWH said SMC’s Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project is aimed to be completed this year and will serve as an alternative road to help decongest Edsa.
At present, civil works for the project are ongoing. It is 76 percent complete, according to DPWH data.
Skyway Stage 3 is an 18.3-km. elevated expressway from Buendia, Makati City to the North Luzon expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City.
Once operational, travel time from Buendia to Balintawak will be reduced from 2 hours to 15-20 minutes.
Aside from these projects, SMC also operates STAR Tollway, NAIA expressway, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union expressway and the Skyway.
