Jose P. Laurel Highway, formerly known as the Sto. TomasâÂÂBatangas CityâÂÂNasugbu Road, is a , two-to-six lane, major highway running within the province of Batangas. The highway forms part of National Route 4 (N4) of the Philippine highway network. It is also known as ManilaâÂÂBatangas Diversion Road in Santo Tomas, ManilaâÂÂBatangas 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.
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 ManilaâÂÂBatangas Diversion Road, which bypasses the Santo Tomas poblacion. It then merges with the old main route, officially known as the ManilaâÂÂBatangas 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 PalicoâÂÂBalayanâÂÂBatangas Road (Calicanto Road) and P. Burgos Street (ManilaâÂÂBatangas Pier Road) in the city proper.
The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road mostly parallels the highway and crosses each other in Lipa and Batangas City.
Most of the highway traces its roots to the ManilaâÂÂBatangas Road or CalambaâÂÂBatangas Road, which connects Calamba, Laguna, to the Batangas Bay coastline in the then-town of Batangas. 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. The road was designated as Highway 19 or Route 19 from Santo Tomas southwards, while the northern segment up to Calamba formed part of Highway 1 or Route 1, which would be eventually integrated to the Manila South Road and eventually the Pan-Philippine Highway (up to Calamba Interchange with South Luzon Expressway).
New alignments bypassing the downtowns of San Jose, Lipa (now known as Ayala Highway), and Santo Tomas (officially known as ManilaâÂÂBatangas Diversion Road), respectively, were later built and made part of the present-day highway.
The road was known as the Sto. TomasâÂÂBatangas CityâÂÂNasugbu Road until June 10, 1976, when it was renamed President Laurel Highway by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 743. While legally covering the entire corridor up to Nasugbu at the west, the name is currently applied to the eastern stretch between Santo Tomas and Batangas City. The western portion, officially designated as the PalicoâÂÂBalayanâÂÂBatangas Road and TagaytayâÂÂNasugbu Road, respectively, were never formally renamed, although the latter is known locally as J.P. Laurel Street through the Nasugbu town proper.