by Ferdinand Patinio/PNA
The construction of the PHP13.1-billion South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Toll Road 4 (TR4) officially started on Tuesday.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar and San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang led the groundbreaking ceremony of the toll road project, which covers the 66.74-kilometer extension of SLEX from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City, Quezon.
Once completed, the DPWH chief noted that the travel from and to Manila and Batangas or Quezon and Bicol is expected to be reduced by as much as three hours.
“During rush hour, motorists have to endure a long four-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,” Villar said in a statement.
He added that the TR4 will significantly benefit motorists going in and out of the southern provinces, especially during summer and holiday season.
The project had at least seven groundbreaking ceremony spanning two administrations. This is the first time that civil construction will immediately commence after the groundbreaking.
With this, Ang is optimistic that the multi-billion road project will be finished in 2022.
“In 36 months, I am confident we will be back to inaugurate the finished expressway. Under the leadership of President Duterte and Secretary Villar, the TR4 project has become a reality. Masaya kami na makasama kayong lahat sa araw na ito (We are happy to be with you on this day). With this new toll road comes progress. New businesses will emerge and bring growth to the level of small towns and barangays,” he said.
“We estimate that 17,000 vehicles will pass through the toll road every day,” the SMC official added,
The SLEX TR4 will be implemented by concessionaire South Luzon Tollways Corporation (SLTC) within four years. It will be divided in six packages starting with: 11.32-kilometer Package A from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Makban, Laguna; 12.75-kilometer Package B from Makban to San Pablo, Laguna; 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.
When completed, it will be a four-lane toll road, which will have a total of seven interchanges in the following areas: Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Makban and San Pablo City in Laguna; Tiaong, Candelaria, Tayabas, and Lucena City in Quezon Province.
“Moving forward, San Miguel Corporation will continue to invest in modern toll roads and expressways that are at par with our neighbors in Asia. We are proud to support the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program,” Ang added.
