The development of transport systems in the Philippines has been a real game-changer for the daily lives of Filipinos. Since the beginning of time, traffic has been the mortal enemy of many Filipino citizens who have the dire need to travel every day. Some opt to permanently live nearer to their workplace just to avoid the annoyance and inconvenience of heavy traffic. But to those who don’t have all the means to switch houses, it’s all about the tedious process of waking up way too early. Since then, the government has finally paved the way for time-efficient roads to help Filipinos in their daily lives.
The new roads and highways in South Luzon connecting the different parts of the country became a big weight off the shoulder of many citizens as their lives heavily revolve around constant travel for work or for school. Houses and lots for sale in Cavite and Laguna became viable options for people setting up their homes as travel time to and from Metro Manila decreased because of the construction of these roadways. While there are numerous roads currently being constructed to further alleviate the hassle of Filipino’s regular travel, a lot of people are still unaware or may not have full knowledge of the pre-existing roads and highways we already have that make traveling a lot more convenient. Luckily, south Luzon is just a minute’s drive away because of certain roads that make a faster route.
Some have not fully grasped the benefits of these roads, and perhaps have no idea how and where to find these roads. If you feel that this might be you, here are the basic roads and highways that connect south Luzon to Metro Manila
Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX)
The Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway or MCX connects the southern province of Cavite to Muntinlupa in a 46.9 km (29.1 miles) long drive. This expressway also connects Muntinlupa and SLEX to both Daang Hari Road as well as the Daang Reyna Road in the city of Las Pinas and Bacoor. It’s known to be the shortest expressway in the Philippines, and starts at the T-interchange with SLEX and ends along the roundabout road of Daang Hari, Daang Reyna, and Biazon road.
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)
The South Luzon Expressway or better known as SLEX is the expressway that links Calabarzon region provinces to Metro Manila. With a length of 46.9 km (29.1 miles), it travels from Alabang, Muntinlupa to Santo Tomas, Batangas. SLEX is considered one of the major expressways in the Philippines. SLEX is undergoing expansion and rehabilitation to better improve the speed of travel of citizens. It consists of four toll roads; the project toll road 1 which is at the Alabang Viaduct, the project toll road 2 which is from the Alabang exit to Calamba Laguna, and the project toll road 3 which routes the way to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The last, which is the project toll road 4 is still under construction, and routes from Santo. Tomas, Batangas to Tayabas, Lucena City in Quezon City. It is the longest toll road that has a length of 66.74 km long.
Metro Manila Skyway
The Metro Manila Skyway or MMSS is an elevated highway with a total length of 42.79 kilometers. It runs over existing highways and is where the NLEX-SLEX connector road is found. The connection of the two major highways in the country would decrease travel time by Southies going to the north and vice versa tremendously. Future plans such as a Bus Rapid Transit system and further expansion are being planned for this highway.
Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR tollway)
The STAR tollway is a 41.9km (26.0 miles) expressway that routes from Santo Tomas to Lipa, Batangas. The expressway passes by Malvar, Tanauan, Lipa, San Jose, and Ibaan, and starts at the extension of SLEX just proceeding the overpass and ends southwards at the Balagtas Rotunda. The expressway passes by rural areas and coconut plantations. The expressway was also redeveloped in 2015 to make it a four-lane divided expressway making it more efficient for heavy traffic.
Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road
The Santa Rosa – Tagaytay Road provides access to Santa Rosa and Tagaytay to the province of Laguna, Cavite, and as well as Manila through the Santa Rosa Exit along SLEX. It is a two-to-four-lane road that has a length of 23.24 km (14.4 miles). Its northern terminus is at N1 Manila South Road and goes east of Rizal Boulevard. Its southern terminus is set at the Tagaytay – Calamba road. It is also one of the fastest ways to go from Manila to Tagaytay.
Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX)
The CALAX is the promising under-construction expressway scheduled for operation in the year 2022. CALAX is said to link South Luzon Expressway or SLEX to the Manila-Cavite Expressway, best known as the CAVITEX. The length of the expressway is about 44.63 kilometers long (27.73 mi). CALAX starts at the roundabout of SLEX, at the exit in Binan. It goes into Laguna Boulevard and goes toward the first toll plaza, and continues on to pass Laguna Technopark and De La Salle University – Laguna Campus. It also has an exit that leads to Vista Mall Sta. Rosa and the community of Valenza where premium house and lot for sale in Sta Rosa Laguna are found. The expressway also goes through an underpass bridge built with mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls as well as a viaduct. The CALAX reaches its end at the Silang East Exit. It is said to have four lanes, all having a width of 3.5m with shoulder widths of 1m and 2.5m.
The Cavite expanse has a width of 26.48km-long, and the route will begin from Tirona Highway in Kawit Cavite and will end at Aguinaldo Highway in Silang. The Laguna expanse, however, will have a length of 18.15km, beginning at Aguinaldo Highway which will then connect to SLEX through the Malampasan Interchange in Binan, Laguna. It is said that the expressway will construct a one-close toll system along with 12.207 km-long bridges and a 4,618 km-long viaduct.
While the first section of the project was operational in February 2020, the CALAX Laguna subsection is set to open for the motorist in the 3rd quarter of 2021. The construction has currently reached about 83% and will soon reach its completion. The project is said to promote the Calabarzon region and will make the traveling routine of Filipinos faster from 2 hours to only 45 minutes.
With gaining knowledge and information on these projects and roads, you may have more options to explore what route you want to take in your everyday travel routine. These roads will help you save more time. It saves you the stress of worrying. And it may help gain you more productivity. Truly, it is without a doubt that better roads build better lives.
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