STO. TOMAS - Soon, going to Lucena from here will be a breeze for Tomasinos and other motorists traveling to faraway Bicol, Samar, Leyte, and other areas.
At present, it takes at least four hours or more for motorists to travel from here to Lucena in Quezon.
But would you believe that very soon, the said four-hour travel time would be reduced to just one hour?
Big savings
That’s a good savings of three hours and a lot of fuel on the tank.
Indeed, it would be a big, good relief to the pockets of motorists amid the never-ending spike in fuel prices.
That is the promise of the new four (4)-lane toll road project from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Tayabas/Lucena City in Quezon, also known as TR4.
But more importantly, the new SLEX extension would greatly improve the transport of goods and services from the Southern Provinces to Manila and vice versa when finished.
Shorter travel time
It will also shorten travel time, decongest, and reduce the volume of traffic plying the Pan-Philippine Highway or better known as the Maharlika Highway, which, through time and development and opening of malls in some areas like in San Pablo City, traffic has become unbearable to motorists.
Aside from the shortened travel time, TR4 would also enhance the economic efficiency of the existing South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), allowing it to meet the increasing demand of traffic volumes due to the rapid growth of population, urbanization, and economic development of Quezon and adjoining provinces.
At the end of construction, the DPWH said the project is expected to efficiently move people, products/goods, and services to and from Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, and Bicol Region.
More convenient
TR4 also promises to provide motorists with safer and more convenient travel on modern tollway facilities like well-lit toll plazas, fiber optics, and CCTV cameras, among others.
Unknown to many Tomasinos, however, construction of which is already in full swing and this early, plans for future business investments near the TR4 Sto. Tomas City (STC) exit in Barangay San Antonio are now being readied.
Jockeying for future slots in the barangay council is now also beginning to sizzle, as the SLEX Extension Project is being eyed to provide jobs and triple the present income of the barangay.
Others, however, remain cautious because according to them, in any development or progress brought into a certain area, this almost always brings a price to pay for it.
One of these could be traffic flow. And this is now slowly being felt.
In fact, before, residents from Avida AyalaLand always prefer Barangay San Antonio’s main road, which is also known as Putol, for easier access in going to the public market, plus it has a stoplight that gives motorists a safe turn to Maharlika Highway.
But business is business.
Reports have it that moneyed businessmen are now also allegedly angling to gobble up a piece of land for future business enterprises along the TR4 like for instance a wide gasoline station complete with eateries and fast food rental services.
One casualty, however, is the beauty and calmness of La Moubresa Village of developer Axeia Group of Companies as TR4 has cut through the heart of the said village.
Sans prior information and proper coordination with the village developer, construction of the project on that part suddenly screeched to a halt as Axeia and other landowners put a blockade and filed a temporary restraining order on a local court.
P13-B project
Project concessionaire South Luzon Tollways Corporation (SLTC) said the total project cost of the 58-KM expressway is a staggering amount of P13.10 billion.
And it could yet balloon further owing to possible adjustments like additional sections for Package TR4, whose construction is in full swing right now.
TR4’s revised alignment is divided into six packages as follows (sections and length):
Package A: Santo Tomas, Batangas to Makban, Laguna (11.32km)
Package B: Makban, Laguna to San Pablo, Laguna (12.75km)
Package C: San Pablo, Laguna to Tiaong, Quezon (7.50km)
Package D: Tiaong, Quezon to Candelaria, Quezon (15km)
Package E: Candelaria, Quezon to Tayabas, Quezon (10.21km)
Package F: Tayabas, Quezon to Brgy. Mayao, Lucena, Quezon (9.96km)
The DPWH said the project is slated to be completed by 2024.