Another segment of the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) is set to be operational by first quarter of 2021, according to MPCALA Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.
Roberto Bontia, MPCALA president and general manager, said the first section of the Cavite segment from Sta. Rosa, Laguna going to East Silang exit is 50 percent complete and will open to motorists by first quarter next year.
The company started the construction of this segment of Calax early this year following the opening of the 10.7-kilometer (km) Laguna segment from the Mamplasan entry and the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange last February.
MPCALA Holdings tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to construct the Cavite side and local contractor DMCI Consunji Inc. to build the Laguna segment .
The Cavite segment spans 35 kms. composed of five subsections starting from Kawit and traverses Imus Open Canal, Governor Drive, Dasmariñas, Silang Aguinaldo Highway and Silang East Interchange. It will connect to the Laguna segment from Sta. Rosa exiting to Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna towards South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
Construction of the Cavite segment subsection 5 from Sta. Rosa- Tagaytay interchange to Silang East and section 4 from Silang East Interchange to Silang Aguinaldo Interchange was stopped last March due to the enhanced community quarantine.
Construction resumed last May, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Despite the two-month delay, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said “I’m still hoping maybe by the end of the year, but possibly by first of quarter next year, we could open the East Silang exit, the first exit after laguna, and then hopefully we can finish the whole alignment by this administration.”
The whole Calax project which will have eight interchanges and one main toll barrier is expected to reduce travel time from Cavite Expressway to SLEX by 45 minutes.
