Philippine expressway network

The Philippine expressway network, also known as the High Standard Highway Network, is a controlled-access highway network managed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which consists of all expressways and regional high standard highways in the Philippines.[2]

Philippine expressway network
Shields for E1 (expressway) / AH26 (Pan-Philippine Highway) and E5 (expressway)
Map of expressways in Luzon, including under construction and planned expressways
System information
Maintained by private companies under concession from the Department of Public Works and Highways
Length420 km[1] (260 mi)
Formed2014
Highway names
ExpresswaysEx
System links
  • Roads in the Philippines

High standard highways are defined as highways which provide a high level of traffic services by assuring high speed mobility and safe travel in order to vitally support socio-economic activities for sound socio-economic development of strategic regions and the country as a whole.[2] In the Philippines, controlled-access highways are known as expressways. They are multi-lane divided toll roads which are privately maintained under concession from the government. The regional high standard highways are partial controlled-access highways that function as supplementary to expressways.[2]

The Philippine expressway network spanned 420 kilometers (260 mi) in length in 2015 and it is to be extended to 626 kilometers (389 mi) by 2020 and 995 kilometers (618 mi) beyond 2030 according to the master plan submitted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2010.[1]

Overview
See also: Philippine highway network

The Philippine highway network spans over 32,000 kilometers (20,000 mi) across all regions of the Philippines. These highways, however, are mostly single and dual carriageways with many U-turn lanes and intersections slowing down traffic. Coupled with the increase in the number of vehicles and the demand for limited-access highways, the Philippine government requested the government of Japan to conduct a master plan for the development of a high standard highway network in 2009 under the Philippine Medium-Term Public Investment Plan (2005–2010).[2] The plan calls for the promotion of national integrity by strengthening the Philippine Nautical Highway System linking roads and ferries, the decongestion of traffic in Metro Manila, and the improvement of accessibility to main tourist spots, among others.[2]

The Philippine expressway network master plan covers the development of high standard highways surrounding Metro Manila in Luzon, Metro Cebu in the Visayas, and the Metro Davao–General Santos area in Mindanao.[2]

Types

High standard highways in the Philippines are classified into two types: the arterial high standard highways or expressways, and regional high standard highways.[2]

Expressways (HSH-1)

Arterial high standards highways (HSH-1) in the Philippines are known as expressways. They are highways with limited access, normally with interchanges and may include facilities for levying tolls for passage in an open or closed system.[3] Standard features of Philippine expressways include guard rails, rumble strips, signs and pavement markings, solid wall fence, speed radars, toll plaza, closed-circuit television and rest and service areas. The speed limit is 100 km/h for cars and jeepneys, 80 km/h for trucks and buses, and 60 km/h is the minimum for all classes of vehicles.

The first expressways in the Philippines are the North Luzon Expressway, formerly known as North Diversion Road and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), formerly known as South Super Highway. Both were built in the 1970s. The first elevated toll road in the Philippines is the Skyway or the South Metro Manila Skyway Project, built from 1995 to 1999. The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway I, from Santo Tomas to Lipa in Batangas was opened in 2001. STAR Tollway II, from Lipa to the Batangas City Port, opened in 2008. The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway or SCTEx Project was initiated under the administration of former President Joseph Estrada with an original project cost of ₱15.73 billion. Construction started in 2005. It is the longest tollway in the Philippines that connects Subic Bay Freeport, Clark Freeport and Tarlac City. It was completed with a project cost of ₱34.957 billion. In 2008, the SCTEx was formally opened, setting the stage for the development of the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway, which would extend beyond the SCTEx' terminus in Tarlac City.

There are many under construction and proposed expressways in the Philippines. All the expressways in the Philippines are privately maintained under concession agreements either with the Department of Public Works and Highways or the Toll Regulatory Board through build–operate–transfer (BOT) arrangements. At present, there are 10 expressways in the Philippines that connect Metro Manila to northern and southern Luzon.

Regional high standard highways (HSH-2)

Regional high standard highways in the Philippines are multi-lane arterial roads with bypass, grade separation and/or frontage road. They connect the expressways and are mostly partial controlled-access highways.[2] Their design speed is 80–100 km/h for inter-urban regional highways and 60 km/h for intra-urban highways.[2]

Numbering system

Under the implementation of a route numbering system commissioned by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on 2014, expressways are labelled with yellow pentagonal signs with black numerals. They are prefixed with the letter "E" for "Expressway".[3]

Numbered routes

The Philippine expressway network is currently consisting of six discontinuous network of expressways, all of which are located in the island of Luzon.[4][5]

Image Route From To Length Toll roads Areas served Notes
 E1 Quezon City Rosario, La Union 226 km (140 mi) North Luzon Expressway
Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway
(Mabalacat–Tarlac City segment)
Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway		 Bulacan, La Union, northern Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac Includes the 3.36-kilometer (2.09 mi) NLEX Tabang Spur Road in Bulacan.
 E2 Makati Batangas City 123 km (76 mi) South Luzon Expressway
(Magallanes–Santo Tomas segment)
Skyway[lower-alpha 1]
Southern Tagalog Arterial Road		 Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila
Muntinlupa 4 km (2.5 mi) Muntinlupa–Cavite Expressway Southern Metro Manila, Cavite Spur of E2
 E3 Parañaque Kawit, Cavite 14 km (8.7 mi) Manila–Cavite Expressway Cavite, southern Metro Manila

 E4 Olongapo Mabalacat 59.3 km (36.8 mi) Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (Hermosa–Mabalacat segment)[lower-alpha 2]
Subic Freeport Expressway		 Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales
 E5 Quezon City Navotas 21.7 km (13.5 mi) NLEX Segment 8.2 (Construction pending)
NLEX Mindanao Avenue Link
NLEX Karuhatan Link
NLEX Harbor Link		 Northern Metro Manila
 E6 Parañaque Taguig 11.6 km (7.2 mi) NAIA Expressway Southern Metro Manila including Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Unnumbered routes
Image From To Length Toll roads Areas served Notes
Kawit, Cavite Biñan 47 km (29 mi) Cavite–Laguna Expressway Cavite, Laguna Partially operational

Luzon Spine Expressway Network

A component of the expressway network or the High Standard Highway Network is the Luzon Spine Expressway Network (LSEN). It is a planned network of interconnected expressways within the island of Luzon. It is part of the Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Plan of DuterteNomics.[6]

In addition to the following expressways:

New expressways will be built as well, such as:

Asian Highway Network
Main article: Asian Highway Network

The Asian Highway 26 () passes through three expressways in the Philippines:

  1. North Luzon Expressway from Guiguinto, Bulacan to Balintawak Interchange, Quezon City;
  2. South Luzon Expressway from Magallanes Interchange, Makati to Santo Tomas, Batangas; and
  3. Skyway in Metro Manila.[lower-alpha 1]

See also

Notes
  1. The extent of E2/AH26 in Skyway is unknown since the DPWH's GIS apps does not show any route designation for the tollway. Despite this, some E2/AH26 markers were seen between Buendia and Alabang until they were dismantled together with the center barriers in 2020.
  2. This segment from Hermosa, Bataan to Mabalacat is currently numbered E1 according to the DPWH's GIS apps but their 2019 atlas, as well as older sources, shows that it is part of E4.

References
  1. "Master Plan for High Standard Highways/Expressways for PPP". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  2. "The Study of Masterplan on High Standard Highway Network Development in the Republic of the Philippines" (PDF). Japan International Cooperation Agency. July 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  3. "Brief History of National Roads in the Philippines" (PDF). Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  4. "2015 DPWH Road Data". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  5. "Road and Bridge Inventory". www.dpwh.gov.ph. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  6. "Luzon Spine Expressway: A road network eyed to shorten travel time between La Union and Bicol to 9 hours". January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  7. Admin. "WATCH: Luzon Spine Expressway Network is Duterte's P107-billion traffic decongestion plan". The Summit Express. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  8. "SLEX Toll Road 5 to connect Quezon province to Sorsogon". YugaTech. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  9. "SMC's South East Metro Manila Expressway project begins". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
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