Southern Tagalog Arterial Road

Southern Tagalog Arterial Road / STAR Tollway
CALABARZON Expressway

Map of expressways in Luzon, with the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road in red
Route information
Length: 42.0 km (26.1 mi)
Component
highways:
Major junctions
North end: South Luzon Expressway (in Santo Tomas, Batangas)
 

Maharlika Highway (in Santo Tomas, Batangas)

Laurel Highway (in Lipa)
South end: Diversion Road (in Batangas City)
Location
Major cities:
Towns:
Highway system
Highways in the Philippines

The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (also known as the STAR Tollway or CALABARZON Expressway) is a two-to-four-lane 42-kilometre (26 mi) expressway in the province of Batangas in the Philippines. It is operated by STAR Infrastructure Development Corporation (STAR - IDC).

The expressway start at the intersection with the Pan-Philippine Highway (also known as the Maharlika Highway) and the South Luzon Expressway in Santo Tomas and runs southward, near Diversion Road, to Batangas City. It passes through Malvar, Tanauan, Lipa and Ibaan.

Route description

STAR Tollway parallels most of the route of the President Jose P. Laurel Highway, which spurs off from the Pan-Philippine 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 towns it passes and also overlooks several mountains.

Santo Tomas-Lipa City

The scenic curve of STAR Tollway over Tanauan City.

STAR Tollway starts as the physical extension of South Luzon Expressway past the overpass with the old PNR railway line to Batangas and an access road for Light, Industry and Science Park at Santo Tomas. Formerly, the toll road ended at Santo Tomas Exit before 2010. The road widens for a short distance at the Santo Tomas toll plaza before narrowing back to two lanes. The road enters Tanauan, with an exit serving the city proper from the west. 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 right of the road and Mount Malarayat can be sighted on the left. Afterwards, it enters Lipa, and the road gradually curving before approaching Lipa Exit, which is an access to the city proper, and also 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. Until Late November 2016. That Carriageway Expand to 4 Lanes From Santo Tomas to Batangas Segment

Lipa City-Batangas City

Past Lipa Exit, STAR Tollway is mostly dual carriageway, until it narrows in approach to Batangas City. Formerly, this segment is a two-lane expressway from its opening in 2007, until the second carriageway is opened on 2014. The carriageways of this segment is mostly concrete, with the southbound carriageway badly paved.

South of Lipa Exit, the road mostly runs through the rural barangays of Lipa. Then, it curves slightly on approach to San Jose. At approach to Ibaan Exit, the road climbs over the San Jose-Ibaan Road before descending back to ground level. Past Ibaan Exit, STAR Tollway mostly runs a arcing route, traversing several rural barangays of Ibaan and paralleling the Batangas-Quezon Road from Ibaan to Batangas City. The road soon narrows back to two lanes at the bridge on the Ibaan-Batangas City boundary, which is a site of a fatal head-on collision between a jeep and a bus on January 2013. The road becomes a 3-lane road, with a concrete jersey barrier dividing the road, ascending before following a straight course up to the STAR Tollway's southern terminus at Balagtas Rotunda. The road widens at the Balagtas toll plaza, narrows back to 3 lanes, and ends at the Balagtas Rotunda, a roundabout with Jose P. Laurel Highway, Batangas Port Diversion Road, and Batangas-Balete Road.

History

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, made the STAR Tollway project a reality.

The STAR Tollway I, from Santo Tomas to Lipa, was opened in 2001; STAR Tollway II, from Lipa to the Batangas City Port, opened in 2008. It is fully operational for all motorists. Currently, only two lanes of the Lipa-Batangas road have been constructed, and this will be expanded to four lanes once this section reaches capacity. 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 became 2 hours when Stage 2 opened.

The STAR Tollway Project I and II was 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 it is being operated by the Star Tollway Corporation.

Name and origin

On February 9, 2004, Congresswoman Victoria Hernandez Reyes from the Third Congressional District of Batangas of the House of the Representatives, authored the 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, and it was made into a law, now called the Republic Act 9462 (RA 9462).[1]

Redevelopment

Announced by the operator, STAR-Infrastructure Development Corporation, on May 16, 2013, the STAR Tollway Upgrading and Rehabilitation Project is stated to begin on July 2013 as announced by SIDC president Melvin Nazareno. Under the project, the expressway would undergo several upgrade and rehabilitation on its roads and facilities in order to keep up with the demand of the expressway. The expressway project includes the following:[2]

Santo Tomas–Lipa Segment

The existing 4-lane stretch from Santo Tomas to Lipa was rehabilitated and upgraded from a four lane concrete road to a four lane asphalt road similar to other existing toll roads in the country. The whole stretch of the expressway would be installed with CCTV cameras by installation of fiber-optic cables. Also there is the upgrade of the toll collection system which would make it faster and more seamless and the adding of lights.

Lipa–Batangas City Segment

On the other hand, the 2-lane stretch of road from Lipa to Batangas City will be rehabilitated and upgraded to a four lane asphalt road similar to the Santo Tomas–Lipa Segment of the expressway with some interchange reworks on some exit to fit this upgrade. Like the Santo-Tomas–Lipa Segment, the whole stretch of the expressway would be installed with CCTV cameras by installation of fiber-optic cables. Also there is the upgrade of the toll collection system which would make it faster and more seamless. The expansion of the Lipa–Batangas City segment commenced on June 2013, and is expected to finish in 24 months, in June 2015 with adding of lights.[3]

Technical specifications

Toll

The whole expressway employs a closed system, where drivers get a card on the entry point and surrender it upon exiting the toll road. There is no electronic collection system used on the expressway.

Class Rate
Class 1
(Cars, Motorcycles, SUVs, Jeepneys)		 ₱1.016/km
Class 2
(Buses, Light Trucks)		 ₱2.032/km
Class 3
(Heavy Trucks)		 ₱3.048/km

Exits

Despite a completed connection with South Luzon Expressway which ends at kilometer 57.2, kilometer count on STAR Tollway rather starts at kilometer 60. The kilometer zero is in Rizal Park, despite the discontinuous mileage. Distance (in kilometers, and also in hectometers) is measured on small green highway location markers and metal posts on the middle of the road, and also on the left side of the Ibaan-Batangas boundary to Batangas City segment of the road. Exits are not numbered. The whole route is in Batangas.

City/Municipality Kilometer Mile Exit name Old exit name Destinations Interchange Type
STAR Tollway continues as South Luzon Expressway
Santo Tomas 60 37 Santo Tomas Exit Santo Tomas, San Pablo, Calamba, Lucena, Quezon Province, Bicol Region Partial cloverleaf interchange
Santo Tomas Toll Barrier
Tanauan 65 40 Tanauan Exit Sambat Exit Tanauan, Talisay, Tagaytay, Laurel Diamond interchange
Malvar 70 43 Malvar Exit Bulihan Exit Malvar, Bulihan Diamond interchange
Petron STAR Tollway KM 75 SB
Lipa 78 48 Balete/Leviste Exit Balete, University of Batangas Lipa Campus, Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club, Lipa City Hall, Leviste Highway Diamond interchange
Petron STAR Tollway NB
Lipa 82 50 Lipa Exit Tambo Exit Lipa, Lemery, Cuenca, Alitagtag, De La Salle Lipa, Mary Mediatrix Medical Center, San Sebastian Cathedral Partial cloverleaf interchange
Ibaan 93 57 Ibaan Exit Malainin Exit San Jose, Ibaan Diamond interchange
STAR Tollway past kilometer 99 becomes a 3-lane road with jersey barriers, except on bridges, where it becomes 2-lane.
Balagtas Toll Plaza
Batangas City 102 63 Batangas Exit Batangas City, Batangas Port Roundabout. End of expressway
STAR Tollway continues as Batangas Port Diversion Road for Batangas Port connecting with Western Nautical Highway of Philippine Nautical Highway System.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ BIS Online Query
  2. ↑ Star Tollway Upgrade and Rehab Set , Manila Standard Today, May 16, 2013
  3. ↑ 2.3 Billion Peso Star Tollway expansion starts , The Philippine Star, June 3, 2013
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