For many motorists, driving to Quezon Province and beyond has long been something to endure rather than enjoy. It’s not the distance that’s the problem, but the traffic. Once you reach Sto. Tomas, Batangas, it’s often a slow crawl all the way to Tiaong, Quezon.

That could soon change.

According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 (SLEX TR4) is on track to partially open to motorists by December this year, cutting travel time between Sto. Tomas and Tiaong from around two hours to just 30 minutes.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez said the government is targeting an inauguration by November, with operations expected to begin the following month.

“By the end of this year, we can start using the TR4. Mai-inaugurate po natin ‘yan. Ang target natin diyan, mga November, [then] December start of operations of TR4,” Lopez said.

Once the expressway is operational, travel time between Sto. Tomas and Lucena City is also expected to drop from about four hours to just one hour. Around 17,000 motorists are projected to use the new toll road once it opens.

The SLEX TR4 project has been decades in the making. Former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III revealed in 2015 that the proposal dates back to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. It later received approval during the Ramos administration, but construction didn’t officially begin until 2019.

The expressway was originally targeted for completion in 2022, but right-of-way issues and other project delays pushed back the timeline.

Once completed, the 66.74-kilometer toll road will link Sto. Tomas, Batangas, to Lucena City, Quezon, providing a faster alternative to the often-congested Maharlika Highway.

The project is divided into six sections. Package A is Sto. Tomas to Makban, Package B is Makban to San Pablo, Package C is San Pablo to Tiaong, Package D is Tiaong to Candelaria, Package E is Candelaria to Tayabas, and Package F is Tayabas to Lucena.

If the December target holds, road trips to Bicol, the Bondoc Peninsula, and the eastern parts of Quezon could soon become a lot quicker than what many motorists have grown used to.