MANILA - Motorists shuttling between Taguig and Pasay City can expect faster travel times starting Tuesday night as a segment of the C5 Southlink Expressway is opened to the public, the Public Works and Highways Department said.

The 2.2-kilometer flyover, which crosses the South Luzon Expressway and traverses Pasay City and Taguig, is expected to reduce traffic in the Sales interchange near Villamor Air Base, and decongest the SLEX East and West Service Roads as well as EDSA.

LOOK: DOTr, DPWH, & LGU officially open a portion of Cavitex C5 Link project, 2.2-km flyover crossing SLEX traversing Taguig and Pasay City. pic.twitter.com/dBf7vZq541

— Jacque Manabat (@jacquemanabat) July 23, 2019

“This is a vital project that will cut travel time in half from the usual 1.5 hours spent to cross from Villamor Airbase, Pasay area to Taguig City. With 3 lanes in each direction of this flyover, passage of the anticipated 8,000 vehicles will be eased when they use the flyover starting 8 p.m. sharp tonight,” said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

The C5 South Link, which will span 7.7 kilometers once completed, is a project of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp, which also operates the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

When completed in 2021, C5 South Link will give motorists from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite direct access to C5. - With a report from Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News