Skyway onramp sign concepts and visualizations
In addition to the signage concepts for the mainline expressway, I thought that a lot of the onramp signage for Skyway could be significantly bolstered, especially since it is now the main route to get to NLEX and SLEX from the core of Metro Manila (especially for those in Manila and Makati). As such, here's many California-influenced ideas for better noting access to the highway.
The interchanges in question will be shown from south to north. These auxiliary signs are designed primarily for street-to-expressway junctions, so the following are excluded from this page:
- SLEX at Skyway (Susana Heights)
- SEMME and NAIAX junctions with Skyway
- Magallanes Interchange (SLEX at Skyway) - already covered on the SLEX page
- Buendia exit itself from Skyway (SLEX at Osmena Highway right before and after the Buendia Flyover) - however, signage from the connecting streets to the Buendia Flyover are all shown here.
- Tomas Claudio Interchange (NLEX Connector at Skyway and PAREX at Skyway)
- Skyway at NLEX (Balintawak/Libis Baesa). However, the Balintawak Cloverleaf is included as neither EDSA nor A. Bonifacio are limited-access routes.
Unless separately noted, screencaps are from Google Maps.
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A bit of a prelude:
Prior to 2019, the northernmost extent of the Metro Manila Skyway was at the Buendia Flyover in Makati, where Osmena Highway has ramps towards Buendia Avenue. So historically much of the onramp signage simply pointed to "SKYWAY" with no control cities - the implication being that most people on the Makati side were heading towards NAIA or Alabang, and most people from Bicutan to Alabang were heading towards Makati.
Now that the road goes further north to Caloocan and further south towards Susana Heights, more specificity is needed, especially to encourage drivers to use the new expressway instead of backtracking towards EDSA.
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Alabang area, Muntinlupa
Though drivers here can get to all destinations via expressway - towards NAIA, Makati and Manila going north and towards Calamba and Batangas City going south - from Alabang-Zapote Road this is from two completely different highways, Skyway northbound and SLEX southbound. Thus a lot of the sign ideas I have in this area are meant to highlight that particular distinction.
NB Filinvest Avenue at Alabang-Zapote Road
Because of the ramp split/expressway spur setup immediately to the east, thought this would be a good spot for a diagrammatic sign.
SB Filinvest Avenue at Alabang-Zapote Road
EB Alabang-Zapote Road at ramp split for Bridgeway Avenue
For drivers on the left lanes, they pretty much will not see an intersection/stoplight again (excluding toll plazas) once they get off the expressway network - at least once the southbound Skyway Extension has been completed. For those on the right lanes, they will encounter the intersections below on the offramp:
EB Alabang-Zapote ramp at Bridgeway Avenue
Note that drivers heading to SLEX still have to make an extra turn onto another street (labeled on Google Maps as Alabang-Zapote Road, but not continuous with the current Alabang-Zapote Road alignment).
NB Bridgeway Avenue at Alabang-Zapote ramp
SB Bridgeway Avenue at Alabang-Zapote ramp
EB Alabang-Zapote ramp at Corporate Avenue
A small SLEX plaque here for those who missed the turnoff at Bridgeway. Last chance to get towards that road before you default to northbound Skyway.
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Sucat Interchange
EB A. Santos Avenue at Skyway ramp, Paranaque
Mentioned Quezon City already due to being able to access that from multiple routes (SEMME, EDSA, and Skyway itself).
One of two spots where a Skyway interchange was built directly over an existing SLEX diamond interchange, the other being Bicutan. So SLEX is given control cities reflective of this - drivers from here can only access Alabang via SLEX and can only (currently) get to Bonifacio Global City through SLEX to C-5 or Sales. (This will change once SEMME is completed)
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Bicutan Interchange
EB Dona Soledad Avenue at Skyway ramp, Paranaque
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Buendia Flyover area, Makati
One important consideration for this sign set is that drivers along Buendia CANNOT directly make left turns onto the northbound or southbound ramps towards Osmena. With that in mind, the signage is designed to get drivers to use the nearby U-turn slots at Malugay and Dela Rosa for such access.
WB Buendia Avenue at Osmena Highway
NB Osmena Highway at Malugay Street
EB Arellano Avenue at Osmena Highway
EB Casino Street at Osmena Highway
EB Buendia Avenue at Osmena Highway
SB Osmena Highway at Finlandia Street/Dela Rosa Street
EB Finlandia Street at Osmena Highway and Dela Rosa Street
SB Ayala Avenue at Buendia Avenue
NB Ayala Avenue at Malugay Street - EB Malugay Street at Zeullig Loop - SB Zeullig Loop at WB Buendia Avenue
No left turn allowed from Ayala northbound to Buendia westbound, so a short loop is needed to make the connection.
SB Pasong Tamo at Buendia Avenue
NB Pasong Tamo at Buendia Avenue
No left turn allowed from northbound Pasong Tamo to westbound Buendia, leading to the following complex routing to access Skyway.
NB Pasong Tamo at Yakal Street
WB Yakal Street at Lumbayao Street
WB Yakal Street at Mayapis Street
SB Mayapis Street at Malugay Street
WB Malugay Street at Osmena Highway
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EB Zobel Roxas Street at Osmena Highway, Manila/Makati city limit
Only mentioning southbound Skyway here as accessing northbound is likely not the main goal for most drivers here (those heading back towardss would likely use Osmena to Quirino anyway).
WB Vito Cruz at Osmena Highway
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Nagtahan/Plaza Dilao, Manila
One thing I've kept in mind here is the bit of a "loop" that will exist once NLEX Connector is open - in theory a driver could go from Sampaloc and back via General Forbes (Lacson), Nagtahan, the Skyway onramp, and the Tomas Claudio Interchange to NLEX Connector and back to Sampaloc. So this has me mentioning more of the long-distance controls instead of trying to focus on local destinations.
In addition, the Quirino Avenue stretch of Skyway looks to be the only spot where the route will have any onramps with surface streets within Manila's city limits.
EB Otis at Quirino Avenue (near Mabini Bridge)
SB Quirino Avenue at Gonzales Street - future onramp to NB Skyway
Screencap from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta4AWGZUT_E
Control city choice is a bit unusual here - Quezon City/Valenzuela. Reasoning for this is simple: The upcoming exit for NLEX Connector is what provides the most direct access to Valenzuela. Plus seemed a bit too early to bring out Balintawak or San Fernando as the next control. (California parallel: there's never an example of "Hollywood/Los Angeles" as a pair of control cities, either Hollywood is a control or Los Angeles, but not ever both at the same time. This is roughly the situation for the Hollywood Split (Interstate 5/Route 170) in the San Fernando Valley, and can also be compared to the Route 85/US 101 split in Mountain View where 101 is signed for Los Angeles even though 85 south is the bypass route.)
Using a local district control wouldn't make sense here either - drivers coming from Sampaloc would not be seeking out the Skyway to get back into the same area.
SB Quirino Avenue near Plaza Dilao - onramp split to SB Skyway
Screencap from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHmDWV2VJK4
Added the Pedro Gil Street legend on there as it is also a destination on the newly opened Quirino Avenue southbound ramp from Skyway.
SB Roxas Boulevard at Quirino Avenue
NB Quirino Avenue at Leveriza Street
NB Taft Avenue at Quirino Avenue
Chose to include Valenzuela here and on the following sign due to the proximity to the upcoming NLEX Connector exit (trying to get travelers heading to all points north to avoid city streets).
NB Quirino Avenue at Osmena Highway - future onramp to NB Skyway
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NB Santa Mesa Bridge, San Juan
screencap via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7Zhu_tpwrc
The first onramp which enters Quezon City boundaries, once constructed. Thus a perfect time to start switching northbound controls to Balintawak/San Fernando pair.
Not yet mentioning NLEX here due to the fact the Quezon Avenue exit is still forthcoming.
Some signage ideas for the streets leading to Santa Mesa Bridge:
NB V. Mapa at Old Santa Mesa Road
SB V. Mapa at Old Santa Mesa Road
EB Old Santa Mesa Road at San Juan Bridge
EB N. Domingo at G. Araneta Avenue
WB N. Domingo at G. Araneta Avenue
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E. Rodriguez Interchange, Quezon City
Note that although this ramp complex is named for E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, the ramps themselves begin and end several blocks south of there and reach other streets more easily (as seen below).
NB G. Araneta at Landargun
Screencap via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXDlaFhtIl8
WB Aurora Boulevard at G. Araneta Avenue
NB G. Araneta Avenue at Aurora Boulevard
EB Palanza Street at G. Araneta Avenue
WB Palanza Street at G. Araneta Avenue
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Quezon Avenue interchange, Quezon City
One of only three total fully directional interchanges on Skyway (the others being Buendia and NAIAX), the sheer density of the major destinations in the area (Banawe Street, Fisher Mall, Mabuhay Rotonda, Scout Area) makes for an interesting exercise, especially when many of the existing signs in the area point to EDSA.
WB Timog Avenue at Quezon Avenue
WB Quezon Avenue at Timog Avenue
SB Roosevelt Avenue at Quezon Avenue
WB Quezon Avenue at Roosevelt Avenue
WB Quezon Avenue at Gen. Lim Street
Even though my Skyway sign ideas have Manila as a southbound control from Balintawak entirely to the Quezon City/Manila border, approaching the highway from Quezon Avenue westbound presents some practical challenges:
- Sampaloc is directly ahead if you stay on Quezon Avenue to Espana Boulevard at the Mabuhay Rotunda.
- Quiapo is a longstanding westbound control city in these parts too.
This gantry aims to try to address this - some Manila neighborhoods are listed as being best reached via Skyway, while others are listed as Quezon Avenue destinations.
WB Quezon Avenue ramp split
WB Quezon Avenue ramp at G. Araneta
SB G. Araneta southbound past Quezon Avenue
Screencap via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa2sNV8Fpl8
SB G. Araneta at Skyway onramp
NB G. Araneta past Quezon Avenue
Screencap from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTC6Oxc0zfM (at 5:10)
NB G. Araneta at Skyway onramp
EB Espana near Mabuhay Rotonda (near Quezon Avenue/E. Rodriguez split)
NB Banawe at Quezon Avenue
EB Quezon Avenue at Banawe
The NLEX mention here is designed to get northbound drivers to not try to either U-turn to go back towards NLEX Connector or continue all the way out to EDSA.
EB Quezon Avenue ramp split
EB Quezon Avenue ramp at G. Araneta
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Sgt. Rivera Interchange
EB 5th Avenue near 9th Street, Caloocan - southbound ramp to Skyway
Screencap from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tZDsuXHTd0
The only street-to-highway junction with ramps reaching directly to and from Caloocan (though the A. Bonifacio/Balintawak onramp is not far from the city limits).
Going eastbound on 5th, the configuration is a bit counter-intuitive: one going southbound would be on a lane left of where the left-turn lane towards A. Bonifacio and northbound NLEX would be.
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Balintawak area
SB A. Bonifacio Avenue between Dorotea Road and 11th Avenue, Quezon City (Exit 9)
Even though I have Quezon City still listed as a southbound control at the Sgt. Rivera junction, I've chosen to leave it off here to minimize confusion (as a driver would already be in the Quezon City boundaries along this stretch of A. Bonifacio Avenue).
This ramp is also going to have exit numbers continuing off of NLEX, in this case this will be exit 9 measured based on the Rizal monument at Luneta.
NB A. Bonifacio/NLEX
Included signage for Skyway access via using 2 of the loop ramps from the cloverleaf, so that traffic from Ayala Malls Cloverleaf will not be forced onto EDSA southbound to make a U-turn to then head back south onto A. Bonifacio.
SB EDSA (from Monumento towards North EDSA)
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