Philippine expressway system

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-rBHDUupIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37UEzfGdQzE

[TheStranger]

One of the more fascinating side effects of the massive highway construction boom in the Philippines is..

...the government not yet imposing a single tolltag system for the region, resulting in a situation now where motorists have to literally have two tolltags installed in order to do even the shortest of freeway drives!

https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/27/smc-extends-rfid-deadline-to-nov-30/
https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/autosweep-easytrip-rfid-guide-a4354-20201026

Now, I do get the two operators, etc. thing (especially when one of those operators is the San Miguel conglomerate).

Just kinda surreal to witness two completely incompatible tolltag systems in the SAME METRO AREA (let alone province/region).  If someone were to go from NAIA to Bulucan province while bypassing EDSA entirely, they would have to have two tolltags, one for SLEX/Metro Manila Skyway (the Autosweep tag that San Miguel has) and a different RFID for NLEX (MPTC's EasyTrip).

Also originally, the tags were available for the public to install themselves, but due to problems with putting it in the right spots on cars, everyone has to go to designated sites (often the tollway service areas) to get them installed for free by tollway staff.  There is one Shell station in the Magallanes district of Makati, on the Osmena Highway frontage road off of the Skyway/SLEX, that does install both EasyTrip and Autosweep, but most places only have one.

I did read earlier today that one can reload their tolltag balances at 7-Eleven locations much the same way many Filipino locals and tourists go there to reload their pre-paid cell phone accounts.

---

https://www.bworldonline.com/dutertes-edsa-decongestion-masterplan-set-to-ease-travel-around-metro-manila-expressways/

New map of projects that are nearly complete or will be by 2022:

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPzloCXaFI4

[bing101]

One of the more fascinating side effects of the massive highway construction boom in the Philippines is..

...the government not yet imposing a single tolltag system for the region, resulting in a situation now where motorists have to literally have two tolltags installed in order to do even the shortest of freeway drives!

https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/27/smc-extends-rfid-deadline-to-nov-30/
https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/autosweep-easytrip-rfid-guide-a4354-20201026

Now, I do get the two operators, etc. thing (especially when one of those operators is the San Miguel conglomerate).

Just kinda surreal to witness two completely incompatible tolltag systems in the SAME METRO AREA (let alone province/region).  If someone were to go from NAIA to Bulucan province while bypassing EDSA entirely, they would have to have two tolltags, one for SLEX/Metro Manila Skyway (the Autosweep tag that San Miguel has) and a different RFID for NLEX (MPTC's EasyTrip).

Also originally, the tags were available for the public to install themselves, but due to problems with putting it in the right spots on cars, everyone has to go to designated sites (often the tollway service areas) to get them installed for free by tollway staff.  There is one Shell station in the Magallanes district of Makati, on the Osmena Highway frontage road off of the Skyway/SLEX, that does install both EasyTrip and Autosweep, but most places only have one.

I did read earlier today that one can reload their tolltag balances at 7-Eleven locations much the same way many Filipino locals and tourists go there to reload their pre-paid cell phone accounts.

---

https://www.bworldonline.com/dutertes-edsa-decongestion-masterplan-set-to-ease-travel-around-metro-manila-expressways/

New map of projects that are nearly complete or will be by 2022:

If you are wondering why Philippines is making new tollways around Luzon and Cebu island is because its part of a movement in the Philippine Government to decentralize the Philippine economy be spreading the wealth to other islands, provinces and cities within the country. Back in 2019 I went to  New Clark City and it was starting to take shape as the country was in the process for spreading the nations wealth to go beyond Manila. Prior to New Clark City and Cebu fighting as candidates to take jobs and wealth from Metro Manila, there were criticism that the Philippine economy was too dependent on the Manila area and the Philippine economy would fall if it did not decentralize the wealth to other parts of the country.


Case and point a similar example we need to look at is jobs moving from California to Texas as part of states decentralizing their economy.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/the-truth-about-the-california-exodus/605833/



https://stanfordreview.org/stanford-california-exodus/

https://business.inquirer.net/160771/decongesting-metro-manila


https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/06/26/1929484/decongesting-metro-manila


https://filipinojournal.com/dont-wait-earthquake-decongest-metro-manila/

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WjUBoRi-pA

[TheStranger]

New video from San Miguel Corporation following the Skyway Stage 3 alignment from Buendia Avenue in Makati to EDSA in the Balintawak area of Quezon City:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFMBdCfRQhc

[TheStranger]

https://youtu.be/8648wqNje4g

SAMSUNG-SM-G930A

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDURtJOy6L0

[TheStranger]

https://youtu.be/batUQPvO10Y

SAMSUNG-SM-G930A

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5rXgyGWo-M

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv8AMm74aV8

[bing101]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindoro%E2%80%93Batangas_Super_Bridge

Here is the proposed Batangas Bridge.

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBHq5V34p8U

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1_Uunr7QLA

[bing101]

https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/DPWH/PPP/projs/davao_bypass

Here is a New proposed road called the Davao City Bypass. Its not just Manila and Luzon getting Road Projects also Cebu and Davao are getting new highways as part of the decongest Manila program.   

[bing101]

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KuJ8s-6-Z0

[TheStranger]

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/10/29/p10-billion-skyway-extension-project-from-susana-to-sucat-done-by-december/

SAMSUNG-SM-G930A

[TheStranger]

photos of the newly installed signage on the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, including a next three exits distance sign near Plaza Dilao!

https://www.facebook.com/490189280996519/posts/4030767770271968/

[Chris]

I wasn't aware that the Philippines also used Clearview. I knew it was adopted by Indonesia.

[TheStranger]

I wasn't aware that the Philippines also used Clearview. I knew it was adopted by Indonesia.

Overhead signage along the expressways and on EDSA is a mix of Highway Gothic, Clearview, and some weird Helvetica variant.  Not very much consistency.

I remember that EDSA pretty much only signed short-distance destinations (i.e. Makati signage on southbound EDSA in the Ortigas Center area), I am curious if Skyway Stage 3 and the NLEX-SLEX connector will have more medium-to-long distance destinations outward of Manila (i.e. NAIA, Makati southbound, and Balintawak/Bulucan northbound) or will remain very locally oriented (districts like Sampaloc, Santa Mesa, Malate, Tondo, the Triangle area in Quezon City and inner-ring cities like San Juan).

[TheStranger]

Video of a girder being installed on the NLEX-SLEX Connector:
https://www.facebook.com/pinoyjoyride/posts/4033112100037535?__cft__

• =AZWKPRvQn2xPfHZBhwyW1GQtID73zEvPkz6bLLY_xAnMKgNRM7ByI8AgybOrh3k_XheIwzZuveyl9mksEr5HnZXAm31UsVagaJQJPXxZhQ-jWoxjR2WhYApoIsskENhTZsH3qQTOohEl6LFsPkgxOre9TmIx3btFRvLP3bs3GkWzHg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
  
  https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/14/meralco-implements-major-relocation-works-for-the-nlex-slex-connector-road/

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIkvkbLV6Ik

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw4pjkdpjWs&feature=emb_logo

[TheStranger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKEkHiTF73k