Motorists traveling between Batangas and Quezon can expect significant relief from traffic delays before the end of the year, as partial operations for the P58.42-billion South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 (SLEX TR4) are slated to begin between November and December.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez announced that the project’s first three segments, spanning Packages A through C, are targeted to open to the public before the year closes. Once these initial sections become operational, travel time between Sto. Tomas, Batangas, and Tiaong, Quezon, is projected to drop dramatically from the current two hours down to just 30 minutes.
The full SLEX TR4 project covers a 66.74-kilometer, four-lane toll road that stretches from Sto. Tomas, Batangas, all the way to Tayabas and Lucena City in Quezon. Upon total completion, the expressway will reduce the standard four-hour trip between Batangas and Lucena to a single hour, providing a faster route for an estimated 17,000 daily commuters.
The major infrastructure venture is a joint undertaking between the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works and Highways, alongside private concessionaire SMC SLEX Inc. Secretary Lopez highlighted the expressway as one of the key road sector developments anticipated for inauguration this year.
