Laguna section of CALAX set to open in October

The Public Works Department and MPCALA Holdings Inc. expect to open next month the Laguna segment of the P35.4-billion Cavite Laguna Expressway.

“Opening this first segment will be beneficial to the growing industrial, commercial and real estate centers of this part of the Southern Tagalog Region,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

“About 10,000 cars are forecasted to be served, eventually decongesting Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road. We are nearing the opening this October,” Villar said.

“Despite some challenges in the ROW [right-of-way] acquisition which kept us from delivering earlier as we hoped, we are addressing these challenges in order to keep to the timeline and deliver the full 45 kilometers by early 2022,” he said.

Upon completion, CALAX is expected to cut travel time from 2.5 hours to less than 45 minutes and help decongest about 50,000 cars.

The first segment starts at the Mamplasan Barrier and passes through Laguna Technopark Interchange, Laguna Boulevard Interchange all the way to Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange.

“We look forward to deliver the full 45 km by the second quarter of 2022,” MPT South Corp. president Roberto Bontia said.

The construction of the Cavite side is expected to be completed by 2022.

MPCALA tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to build the Cavite side and local contractor DMCI Consunji Inc. to construct the Laguna segment.

The Cavite segment comprises 27 kilometers of the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

The Cavite segment starts from Kawit, Cavite and traverses the Imus Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, Dasmariñas, Aguinaldo Highway and Silang which will connect to the Laguna segment from Sta. Rosa exiting to Mamplasan towards South Luzon Expressway.

CALAX will feature an automatic license plate recognition system enabling barrier-less entry. IP-based speed detection cameras will be strategically installed together with HD CCTV coverage for the entire stretch of the expressway to ensure the safety of the motorists.  

There will be gasoline stations, retail outlets, convenience stores, restaurants, along with security, and maintenance centers to address the needs of motorists, according to the operator.