TIAONG, Quezon, March 24 (PNA) — Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is undertaking the Php 13.1-billion Southern Luzon Expressway-Toll Road 4 (SLEX TR4) project, a four-lane, 58-kilometer highway extending from Santo Tomas, Batangas all the way to Lucena City in Quezon Province.
The SLEX TR4 will eventually cut the travel time from Santo Tomas to Lucena City to one hour from the current four hours.
In a project briefing on March 23 at Lalig Village in this municipality led by Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Edmund Reyes and attended by President Benigno S. Aquino III, project proponent South Luzon Tollways Corporation, a unit of SMC, said that it hoped to start the project in less than a year.
Also in attendance were San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chief operating officer and South Luzon Tollway chair Ramon Ang, Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (Citra) president and chief executive officer Shadik Wahono, Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Quezon Governor David “Jayjay” Suarez, Quezon Representative Vicente Alcala and Tiaong Mayor Ramon Preza.
”We see infrastructure as an opportunity to participate in the growth of our country. Quality infrastructure will impact and change lives,” said Ang.
“The tollway will help encourage new investments across these regions. Land values will appreciate; new businesses will emerge; progress will be brought to the towns and barangays (villages). We are happy that we are in a position to contribute,” he added.
Ang said further that traveling to and from Southern Luzon region will also be safer as SLEX-TR4 will have four lanes, guard rails, median barriers, well-lit toll plazas, and CCTV cameras among other safety features.
The project is divided into five sections: Section I covers Santo Tomas, Batangas to Macban, Laguna (10.58 kilometers); Section II covers Macban, Laguna to San Pablo City, Laguna (12.2 kilometers); Section III covers San Pablo City, Laguna to Tiaong, Quezon (8.1 kilometers); Section IV covers Tiaong, Quezon to Candelaria, Quezon (14.4 kilometers); and Section V covers Candelaria to Lucena City (12.31 kilometers).
SLTC said that the target for Section I is by mid 2017 and by 2019, the project will be fully completed.
Local officials welcomed and expressed support for the project, saying that it will boost trade, commerce and tourism in Regions 4 and 5. (PNA)