Northbound Part 1: Susana Heights to NAIAX
TO SOUTHBOUND PART 3 - MAKATI TO SUSANA HEIGHTS
Starting out our series of northbound design posts with the stretch of Skyway from Susana Heights, Muntinlupa north towards NAIAX.
For the purposes of this and all other coming posts, the hypothetical exit numbering for the Skyway is based on having the zero-kilometer mark in Susana Heights, at SLEX/Skyway Extension interchange. This is entirely different from how NLEX and SLEX both currently use Luneta as Zero Kilometer, even though neither road actually directly leads to that park in Manila (or Manila city limits at all). Numbering from the south (or west) terminus of a road is general American methodology.
One tricky aspect when using kilometers is that with a long interchange like Buendia Avenue or Quezon Avenue, the ramps might come from different kilometer posts on the road, where in the US a mile is long enough (1.60934 kilometers) that it is much easier to have the same exit number even for one long set of ramps, from both directions of road.
UPDATE, 4/10/21: Screenshots added of northbound Skyway Extension, which has soft-opened today (4/11/21 in Philippine time), from this video: https://www.facebook.com/SecMarkVillar/posts/4574890682526874
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SLEX Exit 26, Susana Heights/MCX (to Daang Hari Road)
Approximately 2.5 km south of the eventual Skyway/SLEX junction
The current sign setup is rather scant for an expressway-to-expressway junction:
- SLEX is given the control destinations of Alabang and Sucat. This is specific because there is NO access from northbound Skyway to either of those exits (or to Bicutan later on); from the start of stage 2 extension, there won't be another spot in which a driver even has a chance to exit until 15 km/9.3 miles north presently (NAIAX) or, after construction has completed, 12 km/7.45 miles north (SEMME).
- Skyway logo is used, to match the current formatting on the existing temporary left-exit northbound onramp in Alabang.
- Originally I only was going to use Makati/Manila for the Skyway northbound control cities, but decided to add Quezon City for the following reasons:
1. The route has multiple exits in QC so it is not merely skirting through town
2. Trying to discourage as many drivers from going toward EDSA as possible, even though Cubao is most easily accessed via the SLEX-to-EDSA route.
3. If Ortigas can be reached via SEMME, that will further make the Skyway a viable route to that portion of QC.
4. Most importantly, Quezon City is the most populated city in the Philippines so not mentioning it would be a bit amiss.
- Added "Daang Hari" as text to MCX sign, so that drivers know the short expressway will eventually lead to that arterial road.
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SLEX Exit 24, Skyway north
(Skyway Extension)
Map screenshot from OpenStreetMap.
Screencap from video below:
https://youtu.be/sx7BOStjnHA?t=487
- Changed the control destinations for SLEX to Sucat/Bicutan, as the very next exit after Skyway is Filinvest/Alabang.
- Added a sign noting that Alabang ramp is 1 kilometer away.
- Based on this photo, the two rightmost lanes for SLEX will both directly feed into the Skyway northbound ramp as an EXIT ONLY.
Here's an alternate design factoring in the width of the SLEX northbound carriageway.
Skyscrapercity user Absinthe_888 suggested I create a gantry mockup based on the following photo from Pinoy Joyride/dmitrivalencia at this split:
https://www.facebook.com/pinoyjoyride/photos/a.1044498782232230/4395797593768982/?type=3
At the ramp split (specifically where the photo above is):
0.5 kilometers/one-third mile north of Susana Heights
A good spot for a Welcome to Skyway and next-two-exits sign, similar to the current southbound next-several-exits welcome sign in Libis Baesa. Some differences though:
- Only two destinations, to show that Makati is not immediately next
- Also wanted to reduce message loading entirely compared to the Libis Baesa sign.
2 kilometers/1.24 miles north of Susana Heights
Starmall Alabang
- listing the next two large cities that the Skyway will reach (Makati and Manila) as well as Balintawak (last major interchange before the current north terminus in Libis Baesa). Intentionally left out Quezon City because of Balintawak being part of that city and because alternate routes to other parts of QC (such as Magallanes to EDSA, or the future SEMME) would affect distance calculations anyway.
10 kilometers/6.21 miles north of Susana Heights
Bicutan onramp
https://youtu.be/eeUhjxKFJ1c?t=576
- Signing Ortigas/Pasig as secondary destination for SEMME exit. If SEMME is designed to connect to C-5 near Bonifacio Global City, this could serve as a viable alternate that would allow traffic heading to Ortigas to entirely avoid EDSA.
- Alerting drivers that a barrier toll plaza is less than 2 minutes ahead.
Exit 12, SEMME East (to Bonifacio Global City/Ortigas/Antipolo) near the FTI Taguig complex
11.9 kilometers/7.46 miles north of Susana Heights
- Fort Bonifacio listed as destination as this is the only direct access point from the south to BGC via Skyway. (There is no connection planned between C-5 Southlink Expressway and Skyway)
- NAIAX as next exit, 2 km away, with Bay City as control destination due to that road leading directly to the area rest of Roxas.
- For consistency with the new (2020-2021) era Skyway signage southbound, the NAIAX logo is to be used.
Exit 14, NAIAX (to Bay City, CAVITEX, Balcaran)
14.1 kilometers/8.76 miles north of Susana Heights
- EDSA listed for Magallanes exit - this is the last access point to that major road until Balintawak.
- Makati Next 4 exits sign, letting drivers know they have arrived in the first major city destination on the route. (The Magallanes offramp begins very shortly after the NAIAX-to-Skyway northbound ramp merge ends)
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