Residents of Metro Manila in the Philippines will be delighted to know that the highly anticipated tollway dubbed the Skyway Stage 3 is now open. The best part is that toll fees are temporarily waived, as the finishing touches of the new elevated tollway are being completed.

The Skyway Stage 3, which connects the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) brings the total length of the elevated tollway to a massive 41 kilometers, or the equivalent of 25.5 miles. This makes it one of the longest elevated roadways in the world. Developed by corporate conglomerate, San Miguel Corporation, the new highway drastically reduces travel time from north to south.

Over the course of construction, the Skyway encountered a number of delays. In February, a nearby warehouse caught fire which inadvertently spread to one of the pillars of the highway, causing it to collapse. On top of this, less than a month later, the Philippine government declared a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Skyway Stage 3, Metro Manila

At last, after numerous delays, the roadway has been completed with just finishing touches left for completion. As these final touches are being made, motorists can enjoy free passage through the new highway. As far as motorcycles are concerned, the same rule applies to Skyway Stage 3 as that for all other tollways. That being said, only those with the luxury of owning motorcycles with displacements of 400cc and above have the option to make use of this new tollway.

I recently rode the entire stretch of Skyway Stage 3, and I was thoroughly surprised at just how much time I saved. What used to take me three hours now only takes one hour—thanks to the highway cutting through the congested urban roads. Once toll fees are imposed, I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be pretty hefty. Nonetheless, it’ll probably be worth it simply from the amount of time you’ll save.

Construction on the new Skyway Stage 3 is expected to be fully completed by next month. Overall, this project has been one of the most ambitious urban infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the country, with an estimated cost of PHP 44.9-billion, or nearly a billion USD.

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