After the opening of the new Silang Aguinaldo interchange in the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), its connecting segment to Governor's Drive in General Trias, Cavite is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.
The 7.9 kilometer Governor's Drive interchange is a 2x2 lane expressway described as the second longest segment in CALAX, preceded by the estimated nine kilometer segment from Open Canal interchange to Kawit interchange that is expected to be finished by the second quarter of 2025.
According to CALAX's concessionaire and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC)'s subsidiary MPCALA Holdings Inc., around 96 percent of the right-of-way for the Governor's Drive segment has been acquired with construction undergoing.
MPCALA President and General Manager Raul L. Ignacio mentioned the fourth quarter of 2024 as the target date of completion and opening of the new interchange.
"Through this interchange, we aspire to revolutionize our motorist travel experience, by connecting communities and helping improve the economy of the region,” he said in a press briefing on Friday, Nov. 24.
In less than a month, the newly-opened four-kilometer CALAX Silang Aguinaldo interchange has seen heavy daily traffic with over 11,000 vehicles passing through the segment, significantly higher than the mere 5,000 projections.
Prior to the Silang Aguinaldo road, CALAX had already recorded a 41,000 average daily vehicle count (ADVC) in its operational routes from Mamplasan to Silang East interchange, as of Nov. 20 this year.
CALAX Silang Aguinaldo connects Aguinaldo Highway to various tourist sites in Tagaytay; Silang, Damarinas; and cities and municipalities in Cavite province.
Overall, CALAX will be a 45-kilometer stretch of roads featuring eight interchanges in the areas of the Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa-Rosa Tagaytay Road, Silang (Aguinaldo), Governor's Drive, Open Canal, and Kawit.
It also connects the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit.
The overall project cost for CALAX so far has been P8 billion, according to the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) - South.
Nearly 60 percent of the right-of-way for the segment from Governor's Drive interchange to Open Canal interchange has been acquired, but construction is still at nine percent. Target date for completion is in the third quarter of 2025.