Marcos opens CALAX Subsection 3; toll waived

MANILA, Philippines — Travelers in the southern part of Luzon now have the option to bypass heavily congested local roads in Cavite as Subsection 3 of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, which extends the toll road to the Governor’s Drive Interchange in General Trias, is operational.

President Marcos yesterday led the opening of the 7.88-kilometer subsection, which is expected to reduce travel time between Biñan, Laguna and General Trias, Cavite from one hour to 26 minutes. Travel time between Aguinaldo Highway and Governor’s Drive will also be cut from 30 minutes down to six.

Accompanied by government officials, Marcos rode a coaster at the starting point of the CALAX Silang Aguinaldo Interchange and conducted a windshield inspection of the project. The use of the CALAX Subsection 3 will be free for all classes of vehicles for one month.

“I can announce that starting midnight tonight (May 5) and for one month, there will be no toll. So to our countrymen, use it and you will see the huge convenience caused by huge projects like this one,” the President said.

Marcos thanked the MVP Group for the CALAX project, which is designed to make travel to Metro Manila more convenient. MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MHI), the developer and operator of CALAX, is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. The MPIC is part of the MVP Group of Companies led by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan. ?The President also thanked Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, whom he described as “one of the main movers” of the project when he was governor of Cavite.

Because of the new segment, CALAX can serve 6,000 additional vehicles daily. The 44.6-kilometer expressway will link the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway in Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna.?The network features eight strategic interchanges, namely Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, Silang East, Silang (Aguinaldo), Governor’s Drive, Open Canal and Kawit. The combined network is expected to serve as many as 95,000 vehicles daily.

Last 2 segments

With the opening of the Governor’s Drive Interchange, only two CALAX subsections have yet to be completed – Open Canal and Kawit.

Last year, MHI tapped construction giant EEI Corp. to build Subsection 1 (Open Canal to Kawit) and CM Pancho Construction Inc. to put up Subsection 2 (Governor’s Drive to Open Canal). The contract awarded to EEI is crucial to linking CALAX to CAVITEX. — Elijah Felice Rosales