DOTr, SMC sign toll operations deal for 417-km expressway to Bicol

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President and CEO Ramon Ang signed the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) for the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 5 (SLEX TR5) on June 3, 2022.

From left to right: DOTr Secretary Art Tugade, SMC President and CEO Ramon Ang

The SLEX TR5 is a 417-km long expressway that aims to connect the Provinces of Quezon and Bicol. It will be built with a 4-lane divided toll that starts from the terminal point of the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 (SLEX TR4) Project at Barangay Mayao, Lucena City in Quezon Province, and ends at Matnog, Sorsogon.

Here is the list of the eight segments completing the SLEX TR5:

• Segment I: Lucena to Gumaca, Quezon, 59.6 km
• Segment II: Gumaca to Tagkawayan, Quezon, 62.4 km
• Segment III Tagkawayan to Sipocot, Camarines Sur, 59.0 km
• Segment IV: Sipocot to Naga City, Camarines Sur, 35.4 km
• Segment V: Naga City to Polangui, Albay, 48.0 km
• Segment VI: Polangui to Legazpi City, Albay, 35.0 km
• Segment VII: Legaspi to Sorsogon City, Sorsogon, 54.3 km
• Segment VIII: Sorsogon City to Matnog, Sorsogon, 62.78 km

In addition to providing a faster route, the new expressway in the Southern part of Luzon will help improve the access to ro-ro ports and fish ports, and the tourism industry in its surrounding areas. In turn, traffic congestion in the Bicol region will be addressed.

SLEX TR5

The SLEX TR5 is one of the expressways under the Luzon Spine Expressway (LSEN) Program. It aims to reduce the travel time between Ilocos and Bicol from 20 hours to just nine hours with its long expressway network. Moreover, the program can reduce the number of motorists using national roads for safer journeys.

Aside from car travel, the DOTr approved the construction of the PNR Bicol project earlier this year. This project will offer railway transport services between Manila and the Bicol region with its regular and express trains. It will coincide with the PNR network going to the Northern parts of Luzon including Bulacan and Clark.

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