Subsection 5 of the P24.2 Billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) , a 7.2-kilometer link from Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange to Silang East Interchange, Cavite has achieved 83% construction progress and will open to motorists by third quarter, 2021.
"This segment is crucial since it will serve almost 5,000 cars per day and will ease traffic along Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road," says Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar, who today (March 11) conducted an ocular inspection of the tollway.
"Right of way (ROW) acquisition has been a challenge, so we are giving our full effort to deliver and eventually open with as little deviation to the original timeline as possible," he acknowledged.
"As soon as the ROW is handed over to us, we double construction efforts to avoid any unnecessary delay," according to MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MHI) President and General Manager Roberto V. Bontia.
Already, the completed and operational segments of CALAX - Mamplasan to Santa Rosa, are servicing 10,000 vehicles daily.
"We target to finish the whole 45 Km stretch of CALAX and serve 50,000 cars before 2022 ends,” Secretary Villar pledged.
As travel restrictions are being lifted, the new subsection of CALAX will accelerate economic progress in Laguna and Cavite by providing interconnection between the two provinces of Region 4-A.
On-going works include bridge deck and pavement construction, drainage works, road furniture and sound barriers, and structures of Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange
Simultaneously, MHI is also constructing Subsection 4, which is up to Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange, slated for opening 1st quarter of 2022.
Upon completion the 4-lane expressway will connect the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) in Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at Greenfield (Mamplasan) Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.
CALAX spans 45-kilometers and has eight interchanges beginning at Kawit, Governor’s Drive, Open Canal, Silang (Aguinaldo) Highway, Silang East, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, and Laguna Technopark.
Operator MHI is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC).
MPTC holds the concession rights for the CALAX, CAVITEX, C-5 Link Expressway, North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), NLEX Connector Road, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cebu.