South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)

The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) holds the distinction of being the Philippines' oldest major toll road, with sections dating back to 1969 when it was known as the South Expressway. Spanning 49.56 kilometers from Magallanes in Makati to Calamba in Laguna, SLEX serves as the primary economic corridor for the CALABARZON region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon). The expressway underwent massive expansion from the 1990s onwards, widening from four to eight lanes between Magallanes and Alabang to accommodate explosive suburban growth. SLEX provides access to major industrial estates including Laguna Technopark, the Cavite Export Processing Zone (via CALAX), and numerous manufacturing facilities that have made CALABARZON the industrial heartland of the Philippines. The expressway also serves bedroom communities like Alabang, BF Homes, and Nuvali, where hundreds of thousands of workers commute daily to Metro Manila jobs. Key infrastructure connections include Skyway access at Magallanes and Alabang, MCX at Susana Heights providing an alternate route to Cavite, CALAX at Mamplasan for direct Tagaytay access, and STAR Tollway at Calamba extending the route to Batangas. The Sta. Rosa exit serves as the gateway to Nuvali's lifestyle district and Enchanted Kingdom theme park. Operated by SMC Tollways using the Autosweep RFID system, SLEX handles over 400,000 vehicles daily during normal periods, with volumes surging during Holy Week and Christmas as Manila residents head to home provinces.