Two industry giants, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Ayala Greenfield Development Corp. (AGDC), are all set to begin construction of the Ayala Greenfield Interchange next month, a project aimed at improving mobility in Southern Luzon.

SMC chairperson and CEO Ramon Ang, AGDC chairman Joselito Campos Jr., and Ayala Corp. and Ayala Land chairperson Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala led the project’s groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.

The Ayala Greenfield Interchange will be a full-directional facility connecting the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Toll Road 3 (TR3) to local roads, improving access to SLEX and the STAR Tollway.

Once SLEX Toll Road 4 (TR4) is completed, the expressway will extend 67 kilometers to Lucena, reducing travel time between Sto. Tomas and Lucena from three hours to 45 minutes.

With the ongoing construction of SMC’s SLEX-TR4 and plans for TR5, the interchange will be part of a broader transportation network spanning 542 kilometers.

It will also provide direct access to Ayala Greenfield Estates, Ayala Land Premier’s residential community.

Happy partners

“We are proud to partner with Ayala on this project. This is part of SMC Infrastructure’s larger initiative to improve and expand our southern tollways network, particularly the South Luzon Expressway.

By the end of the year, we expect to turn it into a 6 x 6-lane expressway. With this, we can better support and sustain the long-term growth of the CALABARZON region,” Ang said.

Zobel de Ayala, on the other hand, emphasized the project’s community impact.

“We are not simply breaking ground on a new infrastructure project; we are laying the foundation for enhanced connectivity and growth, enriching the lives of the communities that we serve,” he said.