Construction of SLEX Extension Starts
Trips from Manila to Batangas, Quezon, and Bicol and vice versa will take less time in the near future, as the construction of South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Toll Road 4 (TR4) has finally started.
According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, the extension will reduce travel time from Manila by as much as three (3) hours.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the P13.1 billion project was led by Villar and San Miguel Corporation President Ramon Ang on Tuesday, March 26.
What This Means for Filipino Motorists
Spanning 66.74 kilometers, the toll road project extending SLEX will cover Sto. Tomas, Batangas up to Lucena City, Quezon Province.
Villar said this will significantly benefit motorists who go in and out of southern provinces especially during the holiday and summer seasons.
“During rush hour, motorists have to endure a long 4-hour drive due to the lengthy and busy Daang Maharlika between Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City, Quezon. This will only take an hour once TR4 is completed,” he said.
Moreover, the SLEX TR4 will have four lanes and a total of seven interchanges in Makban and San Pablo City in Laguna; Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Candelaria, Tayabas, Tiaong, and Lucena City in Quezon Province.
The project will be implemented by concessionaire South Luzon Tollways Corporation (SLTC) in a span of four years, divided in six packages. It will start with the 11.32-kilometer Package A from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Makban, Laguna; followed by 12.75-kilometer Package B from Makban to San Pablo, Laguna; then 7.5-kilometer Package C from San Pablo to Tiaong, Quezon; 15-kilometer Package D from Tiaong to Candelaria, Quezon; 10.21-kilometer Package E from Candelaria to Tayabas, Quezon and the 9.96-kilometer Package F from Tayabas to Lucena City, Quezon.
Ang noted that San Miguel Corporation is ready to support the government’s Build, Build, Build program and will continue to invest in modern expressways and toll roads that are at par with those in other Asian countries.
