San Miguel Corp. said Monday said it will work double-time to ensure the Skyway Stage 3 project opens by July this year, despite a fire at a nearby warehouse in Pandacan, Manila that collapsed a portion of the road project.
“We are saddened by this unfortunate incident mainly because it will delay a vital infrastructure project that would have alleviated traffic woes of our motorists sooner,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang.
“But rest assured, we will work 24/7 to endeavor to complete the entire project in five months. This is just a three-month delay from the original opening target,” he added.
Motorists had anticipated the road’s opening by April 1 this year.
Skyway Stage 3 was designed to eliminate choke points and provide motorists seamless connections between and north and south. It stretches from Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati and traverses through San Juan, Manila, and Quezon City all the way to the North Luzon Expressway.
Upon completion, traveling to and from Buendia and Balintawak could only take 15 minutes.
SMC said its initial investigation showed the fire was a freak accident that could have likely started from the DMCI construction yard that eventually spread to its nearby plastics warehouse, which at that time was being relocated out of Pandacan.
The relocation is part of the company’s efforts to clear its properties in Pandacan, in consideration of Skyway and future projects.
Earlier, SMC completed the removal of the oil depot facilities of subsidiary Petron Corp. in the area.
“We continue to liaise with the concerned authorities to address all issues pertaining to the incident. It is fortunate that no one was harmed and we thank everybody who took the time to help fight the fire,” Ang said.
“What pains us is that we missed the opportunity to help motorists sooner with the opening of this road network. But what’s important now is that we get back to work right away and double our hard work. There will be no shortcuts and we will put all our resources on this effort” he added.
SMC earlier proposed to use the Pandacan property as a major, integrated transport and food terminal to help further decongest the main entry and exit points to Metro Manila.
For travelers to and from northern and southern Luzon provinces, the project is envisioned to serve as a safe, convenient and more comfortable central transport hub.
Meanwhile, food haulers from the province can deliver fresh produce to a modern, central food terminal without having to add to Metro Manila traffic.
“This incident is a reminder to all of us that right of way for all our infrastructure projects should be clear of fire hazards. We call on the Department of Public Works and Highways to continue to strictly enforce this to avoid similar incidents from happening,” Ang said.
There are still a number of tank farms owned by other companies in the Pandacan area that used to be a depot for several oil companies.