South Luzon Expressway
The
South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) or (SLE), also called
South Superhighway, is a network of three expressways that connects
Metro Manila with the provinces of the
CALABARZON region in the
Philippines. The first two expressways are operated by the
Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC), while the third expressway is operated by the Star Infrastructure Development Corporation.
It starts in
Manila's
Paco district and ends in
Lipa City in the province of
Batangas, 81 kilometers south of Manila. Southwards, the SLEx passes through the following cities and municipalities:
Manila,
Makati,
Pasay,
Parañaque and
Muntinlupa in Metro Manila,
San Pedro and
Biñan in Laguna,
Carmona in
Cavite, then
Biñan (again),
Santa Rosa,
Cabuyao and
Calamba City in Laguna. Its Batangas segment, the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road or STAR Tollway, located entirely within the province of Batangas starts in the municipality of
Santo Tomas and
Tanauan City,
Malvar and Lipa City.
|
The Skyway segment of the expressway |
The first expressway in the network, the
Metro Manila Skyway system, starts in Magallanes and connects with the second expressway in network, the South Luzon Expressway, in Alabang, Muntinlupa. The South Luzon Expressway then traverses the western part of Laguna province and ends in Calamba. The third expressway in the network, STAR Tollway, is currently not connected to the second expressway.
The portion of the South Luzon Expressway within Metro Manila is officially named the
President Sergio Osmeña, Sr. Highway while the southern provincial portion is officially called the
Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Highway, after the country's national hero. The Expressway is also officially designated as
Radial Road 3 or R-3 in the roadway system of Metro Manila.
Over the years, the areas surrounding the South Luzon Expressway, particularly southern Metro Manila and those areas within Laguna province, have seen massive industrialization and urbanization, especially with the influx of local and foreign investment into the area and the migration of Filipinos from different parts of the Philippines. Such development caused heavy traffic to pour into the SLEx, causing massive traffic jams in parts of the expressway, especially during Mondays, Fridays and the morning and evening rush hour.
To decongest traffic at the SLEx, the Philippine government entered a build-operate-transfer scheme agreement with Indonesian construction firm Citra for the rehabilitation of parts of the expressway and the construction of the
Metro Manila Skyway, an elevated North-South tollway that will pass over the South Luzon Expressway, some areas of Metro Manila and eventually into the
North Luzon Expressway, which aims to interconnect the two expressways and to decongest traffic in many areas of Metro Manila.
Starting in May 2006, the expressway will undergo a major rehabilitation similar to the recently rehabilitated North Luzon Expressway and will eventually connect with its
Batangas section, the
Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, also known as the STAR Tollway. Phase 1 of the expressway project includes the replacement of the already shaky
Alabang Viaduct, the rehabilitation and widening of the Alabang-Calamba segment, construction of the missing link(Calamba-Santo Tomas segment) and the integration of the Skyway, South Luzon Expressway and the STAR Expressway as a single toll road. Phase 2 involves the rehabilitation of the Santo Tomas-Lipa segment and the extension of the expressway to Batangas City. Phase 3 involves another extension from Santo Tomas to
Lucena City in
Quezon. PNCC and MTD Capital of Malaysia has formed a joint venture, called South Luzon Tollways Corporation or SLTC. After rehabilitation has completed, SLTC will takeover the management and operations of the South Luzon Expressway. It is said that the expressway will have qualities similar to that of a modern Malaysian expressway.
When rehabilitation is complete, driving time from Manila to the Port of Batangas should be reduced to roughly one hour.
| Class | Skyway Elevated Portion
(Buendia-Bicutan) | Skyway At-Grade Portion
(Magallanes-Alabang) | South Luzon Expressway
(Alabang-Calamba)!STAR Tollway
(Santo Tomas-Lipa) |
|---|
Class 1
(Cars, Motorcycles, SUVs, Jeepneys) | PhP 85 | PhP 4.17/km | PhP 0.56/km | PhP 16 |
Class 2
(Buses, Light Trucks) | PhP 170 | PhP 8.35/km | PhP 1.12/km | PhP 37 |
Class 3
(Heavy Trucks) | PhP 225 | PhP 12.52/km | PhP 1.68/km | PhP 57 |
|
Exits are numbered by kilometerpost. Exits start at 8 because the Paco-Magallanes segment is not part of the expressway segment. On the highway, exit numbers aren't posted until Exit 26. Also note that the exit number goes north-south, unlike US freeways and the NLEX.
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Exit 8 - Magallanes Exit (Makati City)
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Exit 9 - Sales Exit (Villamor Air Base, Pasay City)
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Kilometre 10 - Nichols Toll Plaza (Pasay City)
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Exit 12 - C5 Pasig Exit (Pasay City)
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Exit 13 - Merville Exit (Pasay City)
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Exit 14 - Bicutan Exit (Parañaque City)
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Exit 18 - Sucat Exit (Parañaque City)
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Exit 22 - Alabang Exit (Muntinlupa City)
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Exit 23 - Fillinvest Exit (Muntinlupa City)
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Kilometre 23 - Northbound Service Station
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Kilometre 25 - Southbound Service Station
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Exit 26 - Susana Heights Exit (Muntinlupa City)
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Exit 28 - San Pedro Exit (San Pedro, Laguna)
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Exit 31 -Southwoods Exit (Biñan, Laguna)
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Exit 33 - Carmona Exit (Carmona, Cavite)
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Exit 36 - Mamplasan Exit (Biñan, Laguna)
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Exit 40 - Santa Rosa Exit (Santa Rosa City)
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Exit 42 - ABI Exit (Santa Rosa City)
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Exit 43 - Cabuyao Exit (Cabuyao, Laguna)
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Exit 45 - Silangan Exit (Calamba City)
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Kilometre 46 - Calamba Toll Plaza
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Exit 46b - Lucena Exit (Calamba City)
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Exit 47 - Canlubang Exit (Calamba City)
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Exit 50 - Calamba Exit (Calamba City)
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North Luzon Expressway*
Major Roads in Metro Manila*
Transportation in the Philippines
