Metro Pacific Tollways (MPT) - South Corporation disclosed that it has alloted a projected P11.9 billion budget to complete its remaining road construction projects for the 7.7-kilometer Manila-Cavite Expressway or CAVITEX C-5 Link and the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) by 2024 and 2025.
In a press briefing on Nov. 24, MPT-South Vice President for Finance Elnora Rumawak explained that the components of the P11.9 billion target project cost for 2024 to 2025 include: the P134 million for the CAVITEX - R1 and R2 extension; P2.56 billion for the CAVITEX C-5 link; P1.08 billion for the CAVITEX CC Link; and P8.16 billion for CALAX.
The firm noted that the costs may be changed throughout the year, depending on the outcomes of the operations that will either be impeded or helped by factors such as unpredictable weather.
So far this 2023, the overall project cost for CALAX has been P8 billion and P5 billion for CAVITEX.
Segment 2 of the CAVITEX C-5 Link is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2024, while Segment 3B will be done by the first quarter of 2025.
The total current project construction cost for CAVITEX C-5 link is around P14.9 billion.
In terms of the right-of-way (ROW), 97 percent has already been approved for Segment 2, but construction is still at 42 percent. With China Roads and Bridges Corp. as its contractor, the segment will be a 1.9 kilometer, 2x3 lane expressway from CAVITEX R-1 expressway to Sucat interchange.
Construction for Segment 3B, which only has 68 percent of its acquired ROW, has not yet begun as bidding for contractors is ongoing, according to MPT-South President and General Manager Raul Ignacio.
Operations for Segment 3B will be split into six according to priority sections. The Priority 1 section will be built in the Kaingin Area, identified as a particular site of traffic for those coming to and from Sucat. Afterwards, elevated structure mainlines and at-grade section mainlations and section roads will be built, followed by the toll plazas.
The target date for the CAVITEX-CALAX link is in the second quarter of 2025.
For CALAX, Subsection 3 (Silang Aguinaldo interchange to Governor's Drive interchange) is geared to open in the fourth quarter of 2024, while Subsection 2 (Governor's Drive to Open Canal interchange) and 1 (Open Canal to Kawit interchange) are set to finish construction by second quarter of 2025. Subsection 4 (Silang East interchange to Silang Aguinaldo interchange) has been operational since Nov. 8.
The ROW for Subsection 3 is at 96 percent with construction at nine percent. ROW for Subsection 2 and 1 are 59 percent and 62 percent respecitively, with 21 percent of construction already proceeding for Subsection 1 and nine percent only for Subsection 2.
"The ROW is provided by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), our PPP partner, who is our guarantor for CALAX. The construction is handled by MPTC-South," said MPT-South Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management Arlette Capistrano.
"Whenever the available ROW is ready, then the construction commences in the particular area so that it still moves. It doesn't become stagnant just because the whole ROW has not yet been approved. We have progress and there's an easier way to catch up," she added.
MPT-South is preparing the whole Cavite network to be suitable for a "barrierless" feature with contactless or cashless toll payment infrastructures.
"That is the ultimate plan. When we do barrierless, practically open road, it should be all of the network. That is where we're headed," said Ignacio.
It will require a big investment for replacing all of the equipment and fulfill the prerequisites such as enforcements, he added.
Capistrano also shared that MPT-South is currently doing a dry-run for the cashless payment system like RFID.
"They choose the tollways that can already accommodate around 96 percent readability. Those have been approved by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to go full cashless. Lately, we have added Silang [in CALAX] to the list. Hopefully, we can include CAVITEX after the upgrades," she said.
Currently, operational portions of CALAX have automatic license plate recognition installed at toll lanes, as well as weigh-in-motion sensors, and speed-detection cameras.