The operator of Skway on Thursday apologized to motorists affected by the heavy flooding at the ground level of the elevated expressway in Bicutan, Paranaque that resulted in heavy traffic.
“We would like to express our sincerest apologies to motorists affected by the heavy flooding at the Skyway At Grade [ground level] Bicutan in Parañaque City following continuing moderate to heavy rains since 6 p.m. of Wednesday, July 12 until Thursday, July 13, resulting in heavy traffic on both directions of the expressway,” said Skyway O&M Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp.
“Historically, this portion of the Skyway System has remained flood-free and we have consistently strived to maintain a smooth and reliable traffic flow for our valued users,” Skyway said.
“Our maintenance teams conduct regular inspections at the drainage system to remove all obstructions such as sludge and garbage,” it said.
It said over the past few months, the rise in floodwaters at the carriageway has become evident.
“These incidents were primarily due to a drainage system problem outside of the Skyway system, which we traced in February this year due to ongoing construction works in the area that are unrelated to our operations and outside our direct control,” the Skyway operator said.
“Since then we have been in constant coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways and other government and private sector stakeholders in the area to find a way to address the issue together,” it said.
The company said it lent some of its equipment to help drain floodwater faster and deployed maintenance teams to siphon off water from the carriageway.
“One of the stakeholders in the area is also currently working on the portion of the affected drainage system within their property, with the contractor committing to finish the outfall this month,” Skyway said.