Jose P. Laurel Highway

Route 4 shield
Jose P. Laurel Highway
J.P. laurel Highway, Lipa City Hall (Lipa, Batangas; 12-29-2021).jpg
The highway near Lipa City Hall
Route information
Maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways
Length49 km (30 mi)
Existed1903–present
Component
highways
N4
Major junctions
North end AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) / Governor Carpio Avenue in Santo Tomas
Major intersections

N433 (Banaybanay–Mojon–Cuenca Road) in Lipa

South end N436 (Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road) / N437 (P. Burgos Street) in Batangas City
Location
CountryPhilippines
ProvincesBatangas
Major citiesSanto Tomas, Tanauan, Lipa, Batangas City
TownsMalvar, San Jose
Highway system
  • Roads in the Philippines
N3 N5

Jose P. Laurel Highway is a 49-kilometer (30 mi), two-to-six lane, major highway running within the province of Batangas.[1][2][3] The highway forms part of National Route 4 (N4) of the Philippine highway network.[4] It is also known as Manila–Batangas Diversion Road in Santo Tomas, Manila–Batangas Road from its junction with General Malvar Street in Santo Tomas southwards, and Ayala Highway in Lipa.

The highway was named in honor of José Paciano Laurel, who served as the president of the Second Philippine Republic. Laurel was born in Tanauan, Batangas, through which the highway traverses.

Route description

Jose P. Laurel Highway in Malvar
Jose P. Laurel Highway as Ayala Highway in Lipa

Jose P. Laurel Highway starts at the Santo Tomas Junction, a roundabout with the Maharlika Highway and Governor Carpio Avenue (officially part of Manila South Road via Santo Tomas Poblacion) in Santo Tomas, officially as the Manila–Batangas Diversion Road, which bypasses the Santo Tomas poblacion. It then merges with the old main route, officially known as the Manila–Batangas Road, and passes through the downtowns of Tanauan and Malvar. In Lipa, it bypasses the city proper as Ayala Highway before rejoining the old alignment. The highway continues south through San Jose, where it bypasses its town proper, and Batangas City, where it ends at Lawas Junction, its intersection with Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road and P. Burgos Street (Manila–Batangas Pier Road) in the city proper.[4]

The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road mostly parallels the highway and crosses each other in Lipa and Batangas City.

History

Most of the highway traces its roots to the Manila–Batangas Road or Calamba–Batangas Road, which connects Calamba, Laguna, to the Batangas Bay coastline in the then-town of Batangas.[5] Construction of the road began on October 1, 1900. By 1901, segments from Calamba to Tanauan and from the Batangas Bay to the Batangas poblacion have been completed. On March 20, 1903, the highway was completed when the segments between Tanauan and Batangas were opened.[6] The road was designated as Highway 19 or Route 19 from Santo Tomas southwards. The northern segment up to Calamba formed part of Highway 1 or Route 1 and was integrated to the Manila South Road and eventually the Pan-Philippine Highway up to Calamba Interchange with South Luzon Expressway.[7][8][9][10]

New alignments bypassing the downtowns of San Jose,[11][12] Lipa (now known as Ayala Highway), and Santo Tomas (officially known as Manila–Batangas Diversion Road),[4] respectively, were later built and made part of the present-day Jose P. Laurel Highway.[13]

Intersections

The former Sabang Rotonda in Lipa, the eastern end of the section known as Ayala Highway

The entire route is located in Batangas. Intersections are numbered by kilometer posts, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero

City/MunicipalitykmmiDestinationsNotes
Santo Tomas AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) / Governor Carpio Avenue – Manila, San Pablo, CalambaNorthern terminus. Santo Tomas Roundabout.
N4 (General Malvar Avenue)Roundabout interchange. Southern end of Manila–Batangas Diversion Road.
Santo Tomas Bypass Road
Santo TomasTanauan boundarySan Juan Bridge over San Juan River
TanauanJ. Gonzales Street
N421 (Mabini Avenue) – STAR Tollway, Talisay, TagaytayTraffic light intersection.
Sixto Castillo Street
P. Carandang Street
Banjo Road
MalvarIsabelo G. Navarro Street
J. Lantin Street
Malvar–Santo Tomas Diversion RoadAccess to AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway).
Pedro Montecer Street – STAR Tollway
San Juan RoadAccess to Brgy. San Juan.
San Andres RoadAccess to Brgy. San Andres & San Juan.
LipaL.P. Leviste Road / Manila–Batangas Bypass Road – AlaminosNorthern end of bypass road.
Alaminos–Lipa City Road / Manila–Batangas Bypass Road – Alaminos, Santo TomasSouthern end of bypass road. Eastbound goes to the southern tip of Santo Tomas in Batangas and Alaminos in Laguna.
F. Leviste Highway – STAR Tollway, Balete
Alaminos–Lipa Road – Alaminos, San Pablo
N431 (General Luna Street) – Padre Garcia, Rosario, San JuanEastern end of Ayala Highway.
T.M. Kalaw StreetAccess to Brgy. Sto. Toribio and Lipa City proper.
San Carlos Drive – Balete
N431 (B. Morada Avenue) – Lipa city proper, Padre Garcia, Rosario, San JuanWestern end of Ayala Highway.
Tambo–Lodlod Road
E2 (STAR Tollway) – Manila, Batangas City, Batangas Port
M.P. Casanova Street – MataasnakahoyAlternate access to Mataasnakahoy.
N432 (Fernando Airbase Road)Serves Basilio Fernando Air Base.
Lipa–Mataaskahoy Road – MataasnakahoyPrimary access to Mataasnakahoy.
Narding Reyes Street
N433 (Banaybanay–Mojon–Cuenca Road) – Cuenca, Lemery, CalacaBanaybanay Crossing.
Banaybanay–Mojon–Tampoy Road
San JoseCharito Makalintal Avenue – San Jose town proper, Ibaan
Malaking Ilog Bridge
Pinagtung-ulan–Galamay-Amo–Taysan Road
Makalintal Avenue / Pulgeras Road – San Jose town proper, Alitagtag, Bauan
Chief Justice Q.C. Makalintal Avenue – San Jose town proper
Batangas CityBagong Pook–Tugtug Road – San Jose, Cuenca
Balagtas Bridge over Balagtas River
Batangas City–San Pascual–Bauan Bypass Road – Bauan, San Pascual, Mabini
E2 (STAR Tollway) / N434 (Batangas Port Diversion Road) / Batangas–Balete Road – Batangas International Port, ManilaBalagtas Roundabout.
N435 (Batangas–Ibaan Road) – Ibaan, Tiaong, Padre Garcia, Rosario
N438 (Tolentino Road) – Lobo, Taysan, San Juan
Telecom RoadBatangas Provincial Capitol perimeter road.
Hilltop Road / Arce RoadHilltop Road borders the Batangas Provincial Capitol.
N436 (Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road) / N437 (P. Burgos Street) – Batangas Port, Balayan, Lemery, TaalSouthern terminus. Traffic light intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ "Batangas 2nd". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "Batangas 3rd". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Batangas 4th". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  5. ^ Executive Order No. 71 (December 3, 1936), Establishing the Classification of Roads, retrieved February 9, 2022
  6. ^ "The Building of the Calamba-Batangas Road in 1900". Batangas History, Culture & Folklore. August 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  7. ^ 1944 Army Map Service Road Map of Northern Luzon, Philippines (Map). 1:500000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service. 1944. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  8. ^ ND 51-9 Batangas (Map). 1:250,000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service, Corps of Engineers. 1954. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Buhay Batangas (January 4, 2018). "Map of Batangas Road System c. 1914". Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  10. ^ General Map of the Island of Luzon, Phil. Is. Showing the Manila Railroad Company's Railway & Water Lines (Map). 1:1,060,000. Bureau Coast and Geodetic Survey Litho. 1930. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Buhay Batangas (January 24, 2018). "A 1930 Batangas Road Trip Guide". Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Southern Luzon Western Sheet (Map). 1:200000. Washington D.C.: US Geodetic Survey. 1941. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  13. ^ ND 51-5 Manila (Map). 1:250,000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service, Corps of Engineers. 1954. Retrieved November 20, 2021.