Skyway 3 has a capacity for 200,000 vehicles per day.
However, Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corp. officials expect the numbers will return to pre-toll collection level in time, once other routes become congested.
After all, the Skyway 3 cuts travel time between Makati and North Luzon Expressway to around 20 minutes.
Using Skyway 3 also slashes travel between Alabang and NLEX to half an hour.
Operator San Miguel Corp. (SMC) allowed motorists to use Skyway 3 for free in the past seven months, since it opened last December, foregoing close to P3 Billion revenues.
When toll collection started this Monday, heavy traffic built up near toll booths of the expressway and on EDSA.