(New) South Station Exit along SLEX

[IMm29]

As part of the ongoing SLEX rehabilitation plan for the aging Alabang Viaduct, SLEX management is closing the Filinvest exit for southbound travelers on February 22, a little over a week from now. Motorists using the said interchange are going to be made to use the South Station exit which is a few meters before the Alabang exit. The South Station exit has been open since February 9, but has not yet been used as heavily as Filinvest because the latter is still open.

The South Station exit has more toll lanes/booths than the Filinvest-southbound exit. The exit is clean and well lit. The E-Pass indicator is quite bright. I hope these characteristics don't change for the worse too quickly. The actual booths are located quite far from the turn-off point from the expressway so there's some room for queues. Once past the booths, there are wide lanes and clear signs pointing you in your direction.

My main concerns, however, are less of the toll plaza itself, rather its location with regard to the queues that will be forming. Since South Station is only a few meters from the Alabang exit, the area immediately before the South Station and Alabang exits becomes one big choke point, just like Bicutan and Sucat are during rush hours. That should back traffic up quite bad. Unlike those two exits, wherein all vehicles line up toward one major direction, the vehicles lining up before South Station and Alabang are headed in two directions, and, as per my experience at about 10:30 last night, they actually cross paths in a dangerous way. Trucks, buses, jeepneys and other vehicles headed for Alabang were hogging the rightmost lane, while cars headed for South Station were in the middle lane looking for the turn off point. All this confusion with the Filinvest exit still open. I wonder how bad it'll get once Filinvest is closed already...

Perhaps the PNCC can define and enforce lane positioning better, so that the queue for Alabang is not cut by motorists headed for South Station? Maybe moving to the middle lane trucks, buses and other vehicles headed for Alabang might improve overall flow in the area?

To the Southerners, any inputs on this?

[shadow]

totally agree with you bro!!! this will be chaotic...

[gearspeed]

Maninibago ako dyan sa daan na yan ah.Tindi traffic niyan for sure.

[MRC23]

Im sure that ang pila for Filinvest and Alabang exit will stretch hanggang sucat and many motorist will swerve up to the foot of the viaduct. Hay buhay!

[RafRaf]

I missed the south station last sunday since hindi ko kita agad kung saan mag turn right. Tuloy diretso ako sa alabang toll gate.

For now, I think, dapat sa start palang ng yellow exit lane pumwesto na ang mag exit sa south station. Else, youll find you need to cut accross the queu to get to the path leading to the south station. If you find yourself in this predicament, you can opt to proceed to alabang exit instead.

[IMm29]

I missed the south station last sunday since hindi ko kita agad kung saan mag turn right. Tuloy diretso ako sa alabang toll gate.

Actually, ok lang sana to kung maluwag sa Alabang. Kaso, ang daming bus at jeep dun. Kagulo din.

For now, I think, dapat sa start palang ng yellow exit lane pumwesto na ang mag exit sa south station. Else, youll find you need to cut accross the queu to get to the path leading to the south station. If you find yourself in this predicament, you can opt to proceed to alabang exit instead.

This would be ok if they could move the traffic headed for Alabang (i.e. trucks and trailers, and buses) into the middle lane, and leave the rightmost lane to the traffic headed for South Station. What's been happening as of this time is that a lot of Alabang-bound vehicles still occupy the rightmost lane, backing up traffic almost half-way from Sucat at post truck ban hours.

[RafRaf]

This would be ok if they could move the traffic headed for Alabang (i.e. trucks and trailers, and buses) into the middle lane, and leave the rightmost lane to the traffic headed for South Station. What's been happening as of this time is that a lot of Alabang-bound vehicles still occupy the rightmost lane, backing up traffic almost half-way from Sucat at post truck ban hours.

Sheesh... its that bad na pala. Like what you said. MAybe it will be better if magamit yung middle lane for alabang, and then the rightmost for south station.

[bajumbo]

Sheesh... its that bad na pala. Like what you said. MAybe it will be better if magamit yung middle lane for alabang, and then the rightmost for south station.

Asa pa tayo na masusunod ito... Lalo mga PUV drivers... wala namang sense of civility mga yun. Mali na talaga ung pwesto ng exit PERIOD.

Expect very heavy traffic na pagsara nung Filinvest south exit. Parang ung sa may Bicutan na part ng SLEX yan... Madalas traffic kc 2 lanes lang ung Expressway. Dapat dyan kung four lane ung design four lane from start to end. walang kurba na parang babae.

[1D4LV]

passed by here the other night.
paglampas ng tollgate, mahahati yung daan. one going to the filinvest area and one going to the aav-las pinas area.
imho. ok naman pagkakadesign, ang kalaban lang talaga dito is yung haba ng traffic sa tollgate and undisciplined puv drivers that unload dun sa kanto ng papuntang filinvest area.

[RafRaf]

Here is an idea:

1. i-urong ng konti yung toll gates sa alabang exit (ala temporary tollgate booths and orange harangs). or better yet 2 toll booths in series in a lane para 2 sasakyan sabay magbayad.
2. alisin yung e-pass sa alabang exit at sa south station ilagay. yung e-passers na alabang-muntilupa bound mag detour muna sa south station (dito kahit dalawahin o tatlohin ang e-pass lane).

What do you think?

[shadow]

kahit anogn pang gawin nila, masikip talaga yun pag pasok eh, dapat siguro knock down nila yun dulong wall ng service road, para lumwag pag pasok doon sa bagong toll...

[IMm29]

Haven't posted on this topic since Tuesday based on my Monday observation to observe some more and to see if there's some sort of traffic pattern. Since Tuesday, I'd been passing through that area at different times of the night (T-around 7:30, W-around 10, Th-around 7:30). Tuesday and Wednesday were relatively traffic free in that area. No long lines. Nothing to complain about. Dream scenario. Surprised about Wednesday, since it was 10pm, but then even truckers observe Valentines, i suppose This is probably what PNCC was thinking, if there are no lines, then there's no problem. But then came Thursday (last night), which was a reprise of Monday night but at an early 730.

Just like Monday night, there was a PNCC traffic officer standing at the turnoff point to South Station. Unlike Monday night's officer, who managed to keep the turnoff open/unblocked by long trucks headed for Alabang, since the queue for Alabang wasn't moving, allowing other motorists to turn toward South Station, last night's officer was just standing there, hands on his waist and staring off into the distance. I got to this guy after passing a few hundred meters of traffic lined up on the rightmost lane, some i suppose going to South Station, but by the looks of it, alot (many trucks and buses queued up) going to Alabang. So much for the newly installed PNCC signs indicating that the rightmost lane is for South Station bound (Class I) vehicles only. I had to wedge myself (or at least my intentions) in between a stopped jeep and bus lined up for Alabang, honk my horn and flash my lights to the daydreaming officer. He then motioned for the bus to stop, for the jeep to move a bit forward, and then for me to come through.

I know, technically this is swerving. But then aren't all trucks and buses in the rightmost lane swerving too, since they're in the lane for South Station? Shouldn't I have been apprehended by that officer standing at the turn off? Come to think of it, what's his purpose standing at the turn off if not to allow traffic to flow freely toward South Station?

Paging PNCC, need help here. Filinvest southbound is closing soon...

Sheesh... its that bad na pala. Like what you said. MAybe it will be better if magamit yung middle lane for alabang, and then the rightmost for south station.

This is what PNCC apparently plans to implement, with the new signages. But then, they really have to enforce this for this temporary exit to work.

Asa pa tayo na masusunod ito... Lalo mga PUV drivers... wala namang sense of civility mga yun. Mali na talaga ung pwesto ng exit PERIOD.

Expect very heavy traffic na pagsara nung Filinvest south exit. Parang ung sa may Bicutan na part ng SLEX yan... Madalas traffic kc 2 lanes lang ung Expressway. Dapat dyan kung four lane ung design four lane from start to end. walang kurba na parang babae.

I agree with you. Mali nga ang pwesto ng exit. But since this is already in place, they can just reduce the problem and work on the traffic flow.

passed by here the other night.
paglampas ng tollgate, mahahati yung daan. one going to the filinvest area and one going to the aav-las pinas area.
imho. ok naman pagkakadesign, ang kalaban lang talaga dito is yung haba ng traffic sa tollgate and undisciplined puv drivers that unload dun sa kanto ng papuntang filinvest area.

The design of the toll plaza is relatively ok, once you can get to it. And that's the challenge.

Here is an idea:

1. i-urong ng konti yung toll gates sa alabang exit (ala temporary tollgate booths and orange harangs). or better yet 2 toll booths in series in a lane para 2 sasakyan sabay magbayad.
2. alisin yung e-pass sa alabang exit at sa south station ilagay. yung e-passers na alabang-muntilupa bound mag detour muna sa south station (dito kahit dalawahin o tatlohin ang e-pass lane).

What do you think?

1. Pwede din. Mejo malayo-layo kelangan ang pagitan ng 2 booths, coz mga bus at mahahabang trailer ang magbabayad dun.
2. They should have statistics on the number of EPass users headed to Alabang before they do this though.

[3ple4]

How long will the Filinvest exit remain closed? If the rehab is done, will the South Station still be opened?

[CVT]

Exited on this a couple of times last week. Okay naman siya and its actually faster (vs. the Filinvest Exit), going to ATC..... Iyon nga lang, maraming bata na tumatawid right after the exit, when the road splits (one going to Festival Mall, the other going to Caltex along Zap-Alab Road)....

1901:nolurk:

[niky]

If they're finally going to close the Viaduct afterwards, this should cease to be a problem. They can mandate the two outer lanes as Alabang only, use their pretty plastic lane dividers (wag yung semento, ha... mapapa-prime-time news nanaman yan kung may tumama) to keep the South Station exit line purely that, and wait for people to get used to it.

Horrible, horrible toll gate entry location for South Station. The old temporary exit they had before Alabang was better placed. I've passed South Station a dozen times and I've never seen it! I only saw it last Valentine's because we were eating at Vivere and I was wondering where that tunnel came from...

[IMm29]

Exited on this a couple of times last week. Okay naman siya and its actually faster (vs. the Filinvest Exit), going to ATC..... Iyon nga lang, maraming bata na tumatawid right after the exit, when the road splits (one going to Festival Mall, the other going to Caltex along Zap-Alab Road)....

1901:nolurk:

Yeah, it's actually faster, IF you can get in a queue flowing toward the right side. But while the queues headed for Alabang and South Station are still one, it's still faster to go Filinvest.

[IMm29]

And so it begins...

Southbound traffic last night, at around 9pm, was backed up all the way until the Merville exit. I exited at Sucat coz, ironically, Sucat was free, and further on wasn't. It was only when I was headed northbound this morning that I had noticed what the build up was all about.

PNCC does listen. Or at least does take a look and realizes what the problem concerning Alabang and South Station is. They've put their pretty plastic cones on the road, dividing that one lane headed for South Station from the other two lanes headed for Alabang and further south. I'm not sure how long that plastic cone trail extends, but then it does help direct flow for South Station. The downside, well, Alabang/South Station is the new bottleneck, but then that's inevitable.

[ryan17]

Last night's traffic at around 8pm was terrible, stretching as far back as the
C5 exit. The Alabang exit was clogged and exiting motorists blocked all but one of the southbound lanes. Not one PNCC cop was managing the traffic. And this is the company seeking to extend its franchise when it expires in April (I think) this year!

[niky]

Well, this is a taste of what it's going to be like come Friday. I'm going to test it Friday morning (for work... we need to know the effect of this on visitors to our school in Laguna).

I think the cones are about the best thing they could do. They actually work, as South Station is now accessible. C5 ba yung traffic pag rush hour? Eh, what's new... ...pero baka umabot Magallanes ang gridlock ngayon.

Sabi ng pinsan ko, you can still go south through BF Homes from the Sucat gate... it's the Alabang gate that will stop you naman, but you can get in from the Sucat gate (by Tropical) daw with no problem.

Only other resort is Coastal Road.

[IMm29]

Just as I was praising PNCC for trying to do something with their pretty plastic cones vis-a-vis improving traffic flow for South Station, they take the cones away, and traffic, at 10:30 last night, was backed up until even before the Hillsborough/Alabang Hills area. To some extent, it was better than Monday night's since traffic wasn't backed up all the way till Merville, but the downside is, you're trapped once you get past Sucat, with no option but to line up and wait.

I don't know how the situation was earlier in the evening, or earlier in the day, for that matter. Perhaps this prompted them to remove the cones, I'll never know. But if they plan to continue with this lax implementation of their signages as regards the new bottleneck area, then they should just remove the signages. Every big truck and bus was on the rightmost lane last night, which is just supposedly for Class 1 vehicles turning to South Station, according to their sign. Argh!

It's Feb. 21. Last day for Filinvest southbound to remain open. Last day for an option to bypass the Alabang/South Station bottleneck. Tomorrow, all hell breaks loose at SLEX, if it hasn't already.

ryan17,
oh, their franchise is expiring already? ang tapang nila magtaas ng presyo ng toll, tapos ganito ang palakad nila? kunwari sa pag-a-aspalto napupunta ang binabayad natin? if they want to charge NLEX rates, they should give some NLEX service.

niky,
looks like BF is going to be the next best option. it remains to be seen how lax or strict those guards are going to be with this situation.