The completion of the entire 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) has been pushed back to December 2023 due to the delay in the delivery of the right-of-way (ROW), according to MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MHI), a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC).
Currently, Calax’s operational segment spans 14.24 km with interchanges at Greenfield-Mamplasan, Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay and Silang East. Three more interchanges — Open Canal, Governor’s Drive and Kawit — are targeted to be completed by 2023.
In a press briefing, Christoper Lizo, MPTC chief financial officer, said the Calax project was supposed to be fully operational by July 2020. Despite the two and a half-year delay, the company is still committed to finish the project by the end of December 2023 once the ROW is turned over.
Lizo said Calax’s total project cost has increased by 10 to 15 percent due to the delay in the delivery of the ROW and high inflation rate and oil prices.
MHI conducted an ocular inspection of the 3.9-km 2×2 lane expressway from Silang East Interchange to Aguinaldo Highway in Cavite. The subsection is now 64 percent complete and was targeted for completion this December but it is also facing ROW problems.
“The target date of opening of the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange has been moved several times, with the latest target completion, being December of 2022, again uncertain,” said Raul Ignacio, MHI president.
These issues prevent the progress of continuous work including the construction of drainage and bridge, excavation and roadway earthworks, and installation of fence and coco net.
Still, MHI is hopeful for the resumption of works soon. Once the ROW is delivered, MHI said it will complete Calax’s 3.9-km subsection in three months.
Upon completion, this will serve more motorists given the reduced traffic situation. Current average daily traffic is 33,000 from Mamplasan to Silang Ease interchange. This is expected to increase to 40,000 once the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange is opened.
“It will ease traffic congestion in the 41-km Aguinaldo Highway — the busiest main thoroughfare in Cavite,” said Ignacio.
Apart from the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road Interchange, the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange will be a convenient alternative way out of Calax for motorists coming from Metro Manila going to Tagaytay City.
“Commute is estimated at merely about 20 minutes as the interchange is 16 km away from Tagaytay City proper via Aguinaldo Highway.
Helping decongest this bustling main road, not to mention Governor’s Drive and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, will contribute to rapid economic growth, boosting the competitiveness of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) as an investment destination.
