SLEX toll plaza starts getting ALPR cameras

As part of its initiative to future-proof its tollways, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) started installing automatic license plate readers (ALPR) in South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

The aforementioned technology — the Ramon Ang-led firm noted — shall reduce the need for barriers when collecting payments. It is also in accordance with the government’s thrust towards contactless toll collection and barrier-less plazas along expressways.

In a statement, the company said that the ALPR cameras read and record license plates for precise toll charging.

Aside from that, SMC is also having its servers upgraded to boost the capacity to handle the growing number of vehicles using the toll road.

In 2022, the toll operator implemented the Seamless Southern Tollways project in 2022, which decreased the number of stops when traveling along the Skyway System, SLEX, and STAR (Southern Tagalog Arterial Road) Tollway.

Such a move led to the decommissioning of the Calamba Main Toll Plaza and Greenfield Toll Plaza, which will soon be demolished in line with the SLEX widening project.

As part of continuing efforts to future-proof the tollway, SMC is also set to complete by the end of the year the expansion of SLEX’ 36.1-kilometer main carriageway to six lanes each side. Some 20 bridges along the SLEX carriageway are also being widened to reduce traffic bottlenecks that result in vehicle buildup and slowdowns.

The expansion of the bridges is in line with the new six-by-six lane configuration of the carriageway to accommodate increasing vehicle traffic in SLEX, which serves high growth provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon.

“SMC SLEX Incorporated understands the importance of SLEX in supporting the growth trajectory of the Calabarzon Region, which accounts for about 20 percent of the country's GDP,” the company said in a statement.

“Once the facility upgrades are completed, it will improve the quality of travel of the general motoring public, and result in faster movement of goods and services as well,” it added.

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