Insider Spotlight
The LIMA Gateway, a six-lane access road directly connecting the STAR Tollway to LIMA Estate via J.P. Laurel Highway, is designed to improve the movement of goods, services, and workers across the Lipa–Malvar corridor.
Why it matters
For manufacturers and logistics firms, mobility is a strategy. Direct expressway access reduces bottlenecks, shortens delivery cycles, and improves predictability across supply chains.
Once operational, travel time from Metro Manila to LIMA Estate is expected to drop to under an hour, reinforcing Batangas’ role within Calabarzon and the broader Luzon Economic Corridor.
Driving operational efficiency
LIMA Estate already operates with two STAR Tollway exits and a third underway, alongside multiple access points through J.P. Laurel Highway.
The new interchange builds on this network, helping decongest existing exits in Lipa and Malvar while creating clearer routes for cargo trucks, service providers, and daily commuters.
For companies planning expansion, reduced congestion translates into lower transport risk, improved workforce punctuality, and better cost control over time.
“Lipa City is strategically located at the center of Batangas. The interchange creates a more efficient gateway into the city, directly linking it to major economic corridors across Southern Luzon. It’s about improving daily mobility and access—giving Lipeños easier reach to work, education, and essential services,” Eric Africa, mayor of Lipa City, said in a press statement.
Expanding the investment footprint
Beyond logistics gains, the added interchange is expected to redirect growth more deliberately across surrounding areas, opening opportunities for industrial, commercial, and mixed-use projects supported by infrastructure rather than congestion-driven spillover.
LIMA Estate, the country’s largest privately owned industrial-anchored estate and first BERDE District Certified development, integrates manufacturing, offices, retail, residential, and hospitality components within a single ecosystem.
“LIMA Gateway reflects the role strategic infrastructure plays in unlocking growth across an entire ecosystem. Together with broader investments in the area, improved connectivity supports business expansion, enhances mobility, and expands access to opportunities for the surrounding communities,” shared Monica Lorenzana Trajano, Aboitiz Economic Estates vice president for Commercial Strategy.
The bottom line
As infrastructure and industry increasingly move in tandem, the LIMA Gateway underscores how mobility investments can anchor competitiveness—helping Batangas evolve from a fast-growing province into a fully connected industrial and business center primed for sustained expansion. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
