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MANILA - Heavy traffic will soon plague southbound motorists on the South Luzon Expressway, where northbound cars have been caught in gridlocks due to the ongoing Skyway extension project, its manager said Friday.

The Skyway O&M Corporation (SOMCO) earlier this week started installing posts in the northbound lane for the 5-kilometer Skyway extension that will eliminate the need for motorists to pass by the Alabang viaduct, a perennial traffic chokepoint.

Dahilan ng matinding traffic sa SLEX ang isinarang third lane paglampas ng Alabang viaduct dahil sa ginagawang Skyway ramp extension project pic.twitter.com/csUECPjSrs | via @Dennis_Datu

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 27, 2019

Construction in the southbound lane will start "in the near future", said SOMCO president Manuel Bonoan.

"'Pag sinimulan din namin iyong paglagay ng mga piece, poste para sa extension ng southbound, medyo may disturbance na rin na mararanasan natin eventually," he told radio DZMM.

(Once we start putting pieces, posts for the southbound extension, we will also eventually experience a disturbance there.)

Traffic on SLEX remained light on the southbound lane and heavy on the northbound lane from the Alabang viaduct to the Carmona rail road around 10 a.m. Friday, operator Manila Toll Expressway Systems said on Twitter.

MaTES-SLEx Traffic Update as of 10:28 AM: Alabang Viaduct NB:HEAVY (Traffic tail end at Carmona rail road) / SB: LIGHT; Ayala TP NB/SB: LIGHT; Calamba TP NB/SB: LIGHT.

— SLEX - MaTES (@OfficialSLEX) September 27, 2019

Nasa San Pedro, Laguna na ang dulo ng matinding traffic sa northbound lane ng SLEX pic.twitter.com/Z87SoybLC1 | via @Dennis_Datu #TrafficPatrol

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 27, 2019

To ease northbound traffic jams, a counter-flow scheme is implemented during certain hours, while SOMCO deployed additional ground personnel and ambulant tellers, said Bonoan.

SOMCO aims to complete the Skyway extension by December 2020.

"Humihingi po kami ng pasensya na kaunti... Sana po mapagtulungan lang po natin ito, matiis lang po natin nang kaunti. At the end of the day, sabi nga, no pain, no gain," Bonoan said.

(We are asking for a bit of patience. We hope we can work together on this, bear it a little. At the end of the day, as they say, no pain, no gain.)