Are you traveling to the Philippines for either vacation or business purposes? And you hate the idea of getting lost. Or do you want to reduce your travel time and have a hassle-free journey? After reading this article on Expressways in The Philippines, you will get what you need.
Expressways are highways designed for fast traffic. They have limited-access thoroughfares that come with interchanges and have no traffic lights as well as intersections. These roads usually include controlled entrances and exits that collect toll fees for passage in an open or closed system. Generally, there are dividing strips between traffics in opposite directions on an expressway and typically two or more lanes in each direction.
In the Philippines, expressways are featured by pavement markings, rumble strips, solid wall fence, guard rails, signs, speed radars, toll plaza, CCTVs, and rest or service areas. These highways have contributed a lot to the economic growth and development of the country. Thanks to them, people can access different needs, such as education, health, employment, entertainment, and other services.
Expressways are highways designed for fast traffic
A list of the operational expressways expanded from North to South is provided right below:
North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)
With a length of 84km, this expressway connects Metro Manila to provinces of Central Luzon. It forms crucial transport access in the eastern area of Central Luzon and has four toll plazas and 15 highway exits in total.
NLEX begins at Quezon City and passes through Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Plaridel, Pulilan, Calumpit, then the towns of Pampanga, San Simon, San Fernando, Mexico, Angeles and ends at Mabalacat.
North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)
SLEX connects Metro Manila to the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon in Calabarzon. It starts in Paco District at Quirino Avenue then stretches through Manila, Makati, Pasay, Parañaque, Taguig, and Muntinlupa, San Pedro and Biñan, Carmona, then again Biñan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, Calamba,
and ends at Sto. Tomas, Batangas.
It is 60 km in length and consists of 23 highway exits and six lanes.
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)
Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX)
CAVITEX is among the shortest expressways with a length of only 14 km. It links Manila to Cavite and can also be called Coastal Road since it is in the proximity to Manila Bay. At the North end, it feeds into Roxas Boulevard and ends at Tirona Highway and Antero Soriano Highway in the South.
The left part passes through Binakayan to Bacoot then proceeds to Soriano to Cavite Economic Zone. The right one proceeds to Tirona Highway near Aguinaldo Shrine and stretches towards Noveleta. CAVITEX has four highway exits and four lanes.
>>> Read more:
Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX)
Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)
SCTEX is the Philippines’ longest highway, at nearly 100 km. The southern terminus of SCTEX is at Subway Bay Freeport in Zambales, passing through Clark Freeport Zone. SCTEX is linked to NLEX in the Mabalacat Interchange. It has three toll plazas and 12 highway exits.
Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)
Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX)
This expressway links the Central to Northern Luzon. Its southernmost terminal is located at Tarlac City to its northernmost terminal is at Rosario.
The first phase begins at Tarlac City and ends at Rosales, Pangasinan, Phase 2 also starts from Rosales, Pangasinan and ends at Urdaneta, Pangasinan, and Phase 3 is from Urdaneta City, Pangasinan to Rosario, La Union. It has 10 highway exits and two toll plazas.
Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX)
Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway)
STAR Tollway spans the province of Batangas. It begins at the Pan-Philippine Highway intersection and SLEX in Santo Tomas and runs southwards. Then it passes through the towns of Malvar, Tanauan, Lipa, and Ibaan in Batangas. The total length of STAR is 41.90 km, and it has 6 highway exits.
Metro Manila Skyway
The Skyway is an elevated highway and motorway, which is the main expressway of the southern part of Metro Manila. It stretches between Gil Puyat Avenue and Alabang-Zapote Road before crossing through Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Pasay, Taguig, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa.
Metro Manila Skyway’s current exits are Buendia, Amorsolo, Don Bosco, and Magallanes in Makati, NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay, Doña Soledad, Dr. A. Santos in Parañaque, and Skyway Alabang Main Toll Plaza A and B, Hillsborough, and Alabang South Station in Muntinlupa. It is 17 km long and has 10 highway exits and
three exit ramps in total.
>>> Suggested posts:
Metro Manila Skyway
NAIA Expressway
NAIA Expressway is an 11.6-km elevated expressway that runs from Metro Manila Skyway to Diokno Avenue, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and Entertainment City. It is the first airport expressway in the country and is located in Manila. The roadway opened in September 2016 and is the first airport expressway in the
Philippines. It traverses the cities of Pasay and Parañaque.
NAIA Expressway
Expressways are basically designed for high-speed travel. However, to ensure everyone’s safety, these Philippine highways are subject to speed limits.
Different speed limits are implemented on different types of roads. Besides, the maximum speed of light vehicles (passenger cars and motorcycles) is higher than that of the heavy ones (trucks and buses).
In the expressways mentioned above, the minimum speed limit is 60 kph while the maximum speed limit for passenger cars (with two axles and not more than 7-ft high) and big motorcycles is 100 kph. While that for trucks and buses (more than two axles or higher than 7 feet) is 80 kph.
To ensure everyone’s safety, these Philippine highways are subject to speed limits
Obey the speed limit rule
Going below minimum and above maximum speed is not a good idea. You do not want to become a violator.
Stay in your lane
Sudden lane departure could cause imminent danger, so try to avoid it. It is vital to stay inside your lane's boundaries, whether you are situated anywhere on the highway.
Sudden lane departure could cause imminent danger, so try to avoid it
Activate your turn signals when changing lanes
With a fleet of fast-approaching vehicles, be careful when you change your lane. It is best to check your mirror first before making a turn to avoid any potential danger.
Avoid texting and calling while behind the wheel
A common habit of many drivers is using their smartphones while on the drive. This harmful practice will put both your life and others at risk.
Keep a safe following distance
Do not stay close to the vehicle in front of you, which is considered dangerous at highway speeds. Keep a distance from the car in front of you to avoid any potential accident.
Keep a distance from the car in front of you to avoid any potential accident
Prepare your toll fee
Prepare your toll fee in advance so you can enjoy a less hassle car trip. Make sure you have browsed the following toll fee rates at the Toll Regulatory Board website.
Take a rest
Driving for hours is painful, so it’s necessary to take a break at fuel stops or one-stop-shops, recharge yourself before continuing with the remaining journey.
With the information about the Expressways in The Philippines above, Philtoyota.com hopes that you can gain a general idea of highway traffic systems in this country. In case you are behind the wheel and have a tour around the Philippines, do not forget to take these expressways to reduce your travel times and, what is more important, try to avoid violating the rules.
7.0
8.0
5.0
