New route: 5-km segment of CALAX from Sta. Rosa to Silang now open

Motorists from Laguna can now drive to Silang East in Cavite using the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

This, after a five-kilometer portion from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to East Silang, Cavite became accessible to the public on Tuesday afternoon, August 24.

"So kung galing po kayo sa CALAX hindi na hanggang Sta. Rosa lang, hanggang Silang East na (So if you're traversing CALAX, it's no longer just until Sta. Rosa, it is now extended up to Silang East)," said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar.

The secretary led the first test drive on the segment on Tuesday afternoon and he cannot help but recall how the entire CALAX project started.

"Natatandaan ko pa nung construction, doon ako sa section ng Laguna, talagang buhangin pa nung time na yun at ngayon nakikita natin na buo na yung highway (I still remember when I was driving along the Laguna section, this section was only filled with sand back then and now we can see that it's already a complete highway)," Villar said.

The P35-billion expressway is 44-kilometer long. It is expected to reduce the usual two-hour travel time within the two provinces to only 45 minutes, benefiting around 50,000 vehicles.

It aims to improve the connectivity between Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and is part of a larger project-- the Luzon Spine Expressway, which will realize an eight-hour travel time from the northern part of Luzon to its tip down south.