Skyway Stage 3 toll fees aren’t going to be cheap

Now that the Skyway Stage 3 has been completed, motorists can expect drastically reduced travel times between the two major tollways located north and south of Metro Manila. This is part of the 23-project EDSA Decongestion Masterplan, which aims to ease vehicular traffic and speed up travel along the country’s busiest thoroughfare.

Skyway Stage 3 Quick Look: 22-minute drive from NAIAX to Balintawak

However, all that convenience also comes at quite a cost, if the proposed toll rates for the project are to be believed. San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which operates Skyway Stage 3, has submitted its recommended fees to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), with the published figures presumed to be for Class 1 or private vehicles.

Northbound

Southbound

Note that these rates are merely ballpark figures, but to say that these are expensive might be an understatement, especially for a population that’s still reeling from the economic effects of the pandemic. And that’s on top of the standard toll, assuming that one would need to use other expressways along the way such as SLEX or NAIAX.

A large part of the projected fees likely comes from the total cost of the project’s construction (Php 66.1 billion), as well as right-of-way settlements reaching Php 4.1 billion. To recall, a number of residents were affected by the project passing right through their respective properties, requiring SMC to provide them with due compensation for the trouble.

>>> Related: After Skyway Stage 3, SMC targets Pasig River Expressway completion

It's going to be hard for many motorists to choose between cost and convenience 

At present, Skyway Stage 3 remains free of charge to the motoring public, and the feedback over how the project has made the usual long drives that much shorter is an encouraging sign. But after February 1, travelers will have to prepare their budgets depending on how often they will be using the expressway. It’s still a toll road, after all. Will you be using the Skyway Stage 3 for the convenience it brings, or will you be relying on alternate routes to your destination?

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