MPCALA Holdings Inc., a Metro Pacific tollway company, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are targeting to open in June a 7.2-kilometer (km) section of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) project.
“Ang target opening ng Silang section ay June (We target to open the Silang section) in June, last week of June,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said at a virtual briefing on Tuesday.
The 7.2-kilometer CALAX section connects Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road and Silang, Cavite.
“’Pag natapos ito… ang travel time from SLEX to Aguinaldo or Silang na dating isang oras, magiging 30 minutes na lang (Once completed, the travel time from South Luzon Expressway to Aguinaldo or Silang will be reduced to 30 minutes from an hour),” he added.
“Once operational, this section of CALAX is expected to serve 5,000 vehicles daily, helping decongest traffic along Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road,” MPCALA Holdings said in an e-mailed statement.
Mr. Villar said this portion of CALAX is expected to help accelerate economic progress in Region IV-A.
The first segments of CALAX that are currently operational run from Mamplasan to Santa Rosa in Laguna.
The operational segments are servicing about 10,000 vehicles daily.
The CALAX project has eight subsections: Kawit to Open Canal (subsection 1), Open Canal to Governor’s Drive (subsection 2), Governor’s Drive to Silang (subsection 3), Silang to Silang East (subsection 4), Silang East to Santa Rosa (subsection 5), and Santa Rosa to Mamplasan (subsections 6, 7 and 8).
Once fully operational, the P35.43-billion project is expected to cut travel time between the Manila-Cavite Expressway and South Luzon Expressway to 45 minutes from the current 2.5 hours.
MPCALA Holdings is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin
