Jump to content

Southern Tagalog Arterial Road

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ervin111899 (talk | contribs) at 09:38, 4 January 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.


R-3
Southern Tagalog Arterial Road
STAR Tollway
Map of expressways in Luzon, with the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road in orange
STAR Tollway Tanauan 2023-01-01.jpg
STAR Tollway in Tanauan, Batangas
Route information
Maintained by STAR Tollway Corporation
Length41.9 km[1] (26.0 mi)
Existed2001–present
Component
highways
RestrictionsNo motorcycles below 400cc, bicycles, tricycles and animal-drawn vehicles
Major junctions
North end E2 (South Luzon Expressway) in Santo Tomas, Batangas
Major intersections
South end N4 (Jose P. Laurel Highway) / N434 (Batangas Port Diversion Road) in Batangas City
Location
CountryPhilippines
ProvincesBatangas
Major citiesSanto Tomas, Tanauan, Lipa, Batangas City
TownsMalvar, San Jose, Ibaan
Highway system
  • Roads in the Philippines

The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR),[a] commonly known as the STAR Tollway, is a two-to-four-lane 41.9-kilometer (26.0 mi) controlled-access toll expressway in the province of Batangas in the Philippines. It is operated by STAR Infrastructure Development Corporation (STAR – IDC). The expressway is signed as E2 of the Philippine expressway network, alongside the South Luzon Expressway and unspecified portions of the Skyway. The expressway starts at the interchange with the Pan-Philippine Highway and the South Luzon Expressway in Santo Tomas and runs southward, near Diversion Road, to Batangas City. It passes through the cities and municipalities of Tanauan, Malvar, Lipa, San Jose, and Ibaan.

The expressway was opened on 2001, with its first segment built between Santo Tomas and Lipa. In 2008, it was extended toward Batangas City, and in 2009, the South Luzon Expressway was connected to the STAR Tollway when construction works of the former's Toll Road 3 project reached Sto. Tomas Exit, further shortening travel time between Manila and Batangas.

With increasing traffic demand in the Batangas City – Bauan area and the Batangas Bay area, proposals to extend the expressway are laid out to decongest the existing routes through those areas. Two projects are proposed to extend the expressway to barangay Pinamucan, within Batangas City, and to the municipality of Bauan. The STAR Tollway is considered as a separate expressway despite being connected with SLEX since 2009.

Route description

View north from Malvar Exit

The STAR Tollway parallels most of the route of the President Jose P. Laurel Highway, which spurs off from the Maharlika Highway at Santo Tomas towards Lipa and Batangas City, and the Ibaan-Batangas City segment of the Batangas-Quezon Road. The road mostly traverses rural barangays of the cities and municipalities it passes and also overlooks several mountains.

The STAR Tollway starts as the physical extension of South Luzon Expressway past the overpass with the abandoned Philippine National Railways (PNR) branch line to Batangas City and an access road for Light Industry and Science Park III at Santo Tomas. Until June 2010, the toll road ended at Santo Tomas Exit. Spanning 22.16 kilometers (13.77 mi),[1] the road widens for a short distance as it crosses the San Juan River and enters Tanauan, where the Sto. Tomas toll plaza is located, before narrowing back to two lanes. The road meets with Tanauan Exit, which serves the city proper of Tanauan. Past Tanauan Exit, STAR Tollway descends on a scenic curve before ascending on approach to Malvar. Entering Malvar, the road mostly passes rural areas, mostly containing large coconut plantations and small residential areas. Also, within Malvar, Mount Maculot can be seen on the west of the road and Mount Malarayat can be sighted on the east. Afterwards, it enters Lipa, and the road gradually curving before approaching Lipa Exit, which provides access to the city proper and to the nearby towns of Mataasnakahoy, Cuenca, and Alitagtag. The exit once served as the tollway's southern terminus until 2007, when STAR Tollway was extended southward towards Batangas City.

STAR Tollway in Ibaan

Past Lipa Exit, STAR Tollway is mostly dual carriageway, until it narrows in approach to Batangas City. Spanning 19.74 kilometers (12.27 mi),[1] this segment was a two-lane expressway from its opening in 2008, until the second roadway opened on 2014. The roadways of this segment is concrete, with the southbound roadway the former two-lane expressway, that has been in bad condition with increased traffic demand. The road mostly runs through the rural barangays of Lipa. Then, it curves slightly on approach to San Jose and enters Ibaan. At Ibaan Exit, the road intersects San Jose-Ibaan Road at a diamond interchange where the expressway passes above grade. Past Ibaan Exit, STAR Tollway mostly runs an arcing route, traversing several rural barangays of Ibaan and paralleling the Batangas-Quezon Road from Ibaan to Batangas City. The road narrows back to two lanes at Sabang Bridge on the Ibaan-Batangas City boundary. The approach to Batangas City from Ibaan was a site of a fatal head-on collision between a jeep and a bus, that killed 7 in January 2011.[2] The road becomes a 3-lane road, with a concrete Jersey barrier dividing the road, ascending in a cutting before following a straight course on rolling terrain up to the STAR Tollway's southern terminus at Balagtas Rotunda. The road widens at the Batangas toll plaza (also known as Balagtas toll plaza), narrows back to 3 lanes, and ends at the Balagtas Rotunda, a roundabout with Jose P. Laurel Highway and Batangas Port Diversion Road.

History

Logo used from 2001 to 2017. Still used alternatively.

In an effort to link the different Southern Tagalog provinces to the National Capital Region, the government with the cooperation of the Provincial Government of Batangas and with the technical and country developmental assistance of the Government of Japan through the Japan Official Development Assistance, started the development of the STAR Tollway.

The STAR Tollway I, from Santo Tomas to Lipa, was opened in 2001; STAR Tollway II, from Lipa to Batangas City, opened in 2008. It was opened as part of the Road Development Project of the government, linking the South Luzon Expressway to STAR Tollway onwards to the Batangas Port in Batangas City. The travel time from Manila to Batangas City was reduced to 2 hours when STAR Tollway II opened. The STAR Tollway Project I and II were funded by Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways – Urban Roads Project Office (DPWH – URPO).

The STAR Tollway is now under the supervision of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and is being maintained by Star Tollway Corporation, a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation.[1]

Renaming

On February 9, 2004, Batangas's 3rd District Congresswoman Victoria Hernandez-Reyes authored House Bill 2753, or also known as the "Act of Renaming the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) to Apolinario Mabini Superhighway (AMS)." On May 15, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed and approved House Bill 2753 to rename the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road to Apolinario Mabini Superhighway, after the Filipino revolutionary and Batangas native Apolinario Mabini, and it was made into a law called the Republic Act 9462 (RA 9462).[3]

Redevelopment

The Santo Tomas – Lipa segment of STAR Tollway in Malvar, before the rehabilitation project, that added an asphalt overlay on the existing roadway (2008)

Announced by the concessionaire, STAR-Infrastructure Development Corporation (SIDC), on May 16, 2013, the STAR Tollway Upgrading and Rehabilitation Project began in July 2013 as announced by SIDC president Melvin Nazareno. Under the project, the expressway undergone several upgrade and rehabilitation on its roads and facilities in order to cope with the traffic demand of the expressway. The expressway redevelopment included asphalting the Santo Tomas – Lipa segment, upgrading the Lipa – Batangas City segment to a four-lane divided expressway, improvements on the toll collection system, installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras for traffic monitoring, and addition of lighting on some segments.[4] The expansion of the Lipa–Batangas City segment commenced in June 2013, and finished in June 2015 with adding of lights.[5]

Sabang Bridge, which connects the town of Ibaan and Batangas City, was closed to all traffic in December 2016 to repair damage of Typhoon Nina (Nock-ten), leaving Ibaan Exit to be the temporary south end of the expressway.[6] On August 15, 2017, a partial re-opening of Sabang Bridge was conducted for Class 1 vehicles and on August 20, 2017, it was re-opened to all vehicle classes resuming full operations to and from the Batangas Exit.[7]

Future

Pinamucan Bypass

STAR Tollway-Pinamucan Bypass
LocationBatangas City
Length10 km (6.2 mi)

A 10 km (6.2 mi) extension of STAR Tollway, is proposed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Batangas as two priority projects that will benefit the province as well as Mimaropa. The proposed extension will increase economic growth in the Batangas Bay area and reduce congestion on existing roads in Batangas City. The project will cost ₱576,000,000, and will pass through the barangays of Tinga Itaas, Tinga Labac, San Pedro, Dumantay, Sampaga, Sirang Lupa, and San Isidro, all in Batangas City.[8] The project, dubbed the Pinamucan Bypass Road[9] is expected to be completed before 2021.[10] Right of way acquisition and construction work began on August 21, 2018, with funding from the Batangas 2nd District engineering office.[9]

Bauan extension

Batangas City–San Pascual–Bauan Road
(Batangas City–Bauan Toll Road)
LocationBatangas City – Bauan
Length9.679 km[11] (6.014 mi)

Another extension to Bauan, called the Batangas City–San Pascual–Bauan Road is proposed by the Department of Public Works and Highways as an alternative to the existing national road between Batangas City and Bauan. The project is expected to decongest the existing national road, whose traffic demand reached beyond capacity due to roadside establishments, industrial areas, and the Batangas Port, and increase economic development in the Batangas City–Bauan area. The proposed alignment of the toll road will start at the present terminus of STAR Tollway at barangay Balagtas, pass through the northern rural barangays of Batangas City and San Pascual, and end at the national road to Mabini at barangay Manghinao in Bauan.[12] The proposed toll road is being constructed as an at-grade bypass only, connecting with Diversion Road, with right of way acquisition and construction works started on February 21, 2018.[9]

Toll

Batangas Toll Plaza, Batangas City

The whole expressway employs a closed system, where motorists are charged based on the kilometers travelled from the entry to exit point vehicle class. Toll collection is done upon exit at STAR Tollway, SLEX, or MCX or at Skyway's Main toll plaza in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila.[13][14][15]

The expressway fully implements an electronic toll collection (ETC) system, the Autosweep RFID, using RFID technology.[16] Such ETC system is shared with Skyway, SLEX, NAIAX, TPLEX, and MCX.[17]

Class Rate
Class 1
(Cars, Motorcycles, SUVs, Jeepneys) 		₱2.482/km
Class 2
(Buses, Light Trucks) 		₱4.964/km
Class 3
(Heavy Trucks) 		₱7.422/km

Services

The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road currently has three service areas, all of which are Petron stations, with two on the northbound and one on the southbound. The service areas also provide ETC reloading for Autosweep RFID users.

Location Kilometer Name Services Notes
Malvar 75 Petron KM 75 Petron, Treats, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's Southbound only.
Lipa 79 Petron Star Tollway (Petron Lipa Star Toll) Petron, Treats, Chowking, Cafe de Lipa Northbound only.
86 Petron KM 86 Petron, Treats, Potato Corner Northbound only.

Exits

The entire route is located in Batangas. Exits are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer 0. Kilometer count begins at kilometer post 60 at Santo Tomas. 

City/MunicipalitykmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
Santo Tomas6037Santo Tomas AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) – Manila, Santo Tomas, CalambaFolded diamond interchange; northern terminus; continues north as E2 (South Luzon Expressway)
Tanauan6138Sto. Tomas Toll Plaza (pass-thru)
6540Tanauan City (Sambat) N421 (Tanauan-Talisay National Road) – Tanauan, Talisay, Laurel, TagaytayDiamond interchange
Malvar7043Malvar (Bulihan)Balete-Malvar Provincial Road / Pedro Montecer Street – Malvar, BaleteDiamond interchange
7547Petron KM 75 service area (southbound only)
Lipa7848Santo Toribio (Balete / Leviste)F. Leviste Highway – BaleteDiamond interchange
7949Petron STAR Tollway service area (northbound only)
8251Lipa City (Tambo) N4 (Jose P. Laurel Highway) – Lipa, Cuenca, Alitagtag, MataasnakahoyFolded diamond interchange; former southern terminus (2001-2008)
8653Petron KM 86 service area (northbound only)
San JoseNo major junctions
Ibaan9358Ibaan (Malainin)San Jose-Ibaan Road – Ibaan, San JoseDiamond interchange
Ibaan – Batangas City boundary9962Sabang Bridge
Batangas CityTinga N435 (Batangas–Ibaan Road) / STAR Tollway-Pinamucan BypassFuture trumpet interchange
10163Batangas (Balagtas) Toll Plaza
10263Batangas (Balagtas) N4 (Jose P. Laurel Highway) / N434 (Batangas Port Diversion Road) / Batangas–Balete Road – Batangas City, Batangas PortRoundabout; southern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road is also known by its alternative names: the Calabarzon Expressway and the Apolinario Mabini Superhighway.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Infrastructure". San Miguel Corporation. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Ozaeta, Arnell (January 2, 2011). "7 killed in STAR tollway accident". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  3. ^ Republic Act No. 9462 (May 15, 2007), An Act naming the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) to Apolinario Mabini Superhighway (AMS), retrieved July 22, 2021
  4. ^ Star Tollway Upgrade and Rehab Set[permanent dead link‍], Manila Standard Today, May 16, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  5. ^ "2.3 Billion Peso Star Tollway expansion starts". The Philippine Star. June 3, 2013. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  6. ^ "Bridge repair affects economy in Mimaropa". The Manila Times. January 24, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  7. ^ "Balagtas Tollgate on STAR Tollway reopened following bridge repair". Autoindustriya. August 15, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  8. ^ "2 road networks sa Batangas, isinulong na maging prayoridad ng RDC IV-A". Balikas Online (in Tagalog). August 11, 2016. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "FY 2018 STATUS OF CONTRACTS" (PDF). Department of Public Works and Highways.
  10. ^ City Government of Batangas. "Startoll-Pinamucan Access Road sinisimulan na". www.batangascity.gov.ph (in Tagalog). Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Ramos, Joenald Medina (November 2, 2017). "'P524-M Batangas City-Bauan Access Road, sisimulan na' – DS Abu". Balikas Online (in Tagalog). Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  12. ^ "Batangas City-Bauan Toll Road Project". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  13. ^ "STAR Tollway". Toll Regulatory Board. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  14. ^ SLEX - MaTES [@OfficialSLEX] (November 30, 2022). "Tweet" (Tweet). Retrieved December 2, 2022 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Grecia, Leandre (December 1, 2022). "SMC's Seamless Southern Tollways project seeks to reduce stops for motorists". TopGear Philippines. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  16. ^ "SMC tollways to go 100% cashless by Jan. 11". Philippine News Agency. January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  17. ^ "STAR Tollway is now RFID-ready". Manila Bulletin. October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southern Tagalog Arterial Road.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Tagalog_Arterial_Road&oldid=1193539447"