CAVITE-LAGUNA (CALAX) Expressway Project

by Ronel Forbes

October 20, 2022

The operational parts of the tollway from Mamplasan, Laguna, to Aguinaldo Highway in Silang, Cavite, will be extended by the opening of the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange on the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) in the second half of this year.

The 3.9-kilometer, two-lane CALAX segment is currently 56 percent finished.

Construction of a bridge and drainage systems, road excavation, fence installation, and coco net installation are all included in the current activity.

The 41-kilometer Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, which is now congested, will benefit from the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange, according to Raul L. Ignacio, President and General Manager of MPCALA Holdings Incorporation (MHI).

“This future project will help travelers from Manila heading to the tourist attractions of Silang and Tagaytay, Cavite as it offers convenience and shorter travel time,” he said.

How it Started?

In July 2013, the DPWH released a call for pre-qualification and bids for the Cavite-Laguna expressway tolled project under a public-private partnership.

In June 2014, the project went out to bid. The toll-road contract was first given to a group led by Ayala Corporation, but the agreement was canceled after San Miguel Corporation, a local business, filed a lawsuit challenging the contract award.

In November 2014, the Philippine government authorized rebidding for the CALAX project.

In June 2015, the DPWH chose MPCALA Holdings, a division of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), as the successful bidder at PHP27.3 billion ($602.4 million).
During the signing of the concession deal in July 2015, MPCALA paid the DPWH $120.5 million, or 20 percent of the total bid premium. Over a five-year period, the remaining sum will be paid.

According to the terms of the concession deal, MPCALA must plan, finance, build, operate, and maintain the highway for 35 years. The agreement also grants MPCALA the authority to collect toll fees.

In accordance with the government’s 2017 Investment Priorities Plan, the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) approved the issuance of incentives for the CALAX project in April 2017. (IPP).

Purpose of CALAX Project

By reducing traffic on Governor’s Drive in Sta. Cruz, the Cavite-Laguna Expressway project will enhance traffic flow. SR-Rosa-Tagaytay and SR-Aguinaldo. Additionally, the estimated 45-minute reduction of travel time from CAVITEX to SLEX from the existing 90 minutes.

Additionally, it will help the regional economy and the about 11 billion residents of the provinces of Cavite and Laguna who currently lack reliable transit linkages.

Additionally, the initiative will support the promotion of the Calabarzon (Region IV-A) region as a top location for growth and investment.

Design and construction of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway

The 44.69km Cavite-Laguna closed-system tolled highway was built in compliance with the 2004 requirements of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the DPWH Road Safety Design Manual, and the DPWH Highway Safety Design Standard.

It will have four lanes, each measuring 3.5 meters wide. The shoulder widths are 1 meters for the inner and 2.5 meters for the outside. The expressway will require a 60m wide right-of-way (ROW).

The project is divided into the Cavite and Laguna sectors. The 26.48 km Cavite length would begin at Tirona Highway in the Kawit municipality of Cavite and conclude at Aguinaldo Highway in the Silang municipality.

The 18.15 km long Laguna division will start in Silang, Cavite, along the Aguinaldo Highway, and link to SLEX at the Mamplasan Interchange in Binan, Laguna.

The road will have up to eight grade-separated interchanges in places like Kawit IC (CAVITEX), Silang IC, Governor’s Drive IC, Laguna Boulevard IC, Sta. Techno Park IC, Opened Canal Service Road IC, Silang East IC, and Rosa-Tagaytay IC.

One nearby toll system and 12.207km of bridges, including a 4,618km viaduct, will also be part of the project. The expressway will have a 100 km/h speed limit.

By December 2019, over 68 percent of the Laguna segment’s construction had been finished.

	Project Subsections	Length (km)
1	Cavitex Connection to Open Canal Interchange	8.68
2	Open Canal Interchange to Governor’s Drive Interchange	9.86
3	Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange to Silang East Interchange	3.16
4	Silang East Interchange to Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange	5.14
5	Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange to Laguna Boulevard Interchange	2.34
6	Laguna Boulevard Interchange to Laguna Technopark Interchange	3.3
7	Governor’s Drive Interchange to Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange	8.64
8	Laguna Technopark Interchange to Mamplasan Toll Barrier	3.46

Please read article: EXPRESSWAYS IN THE PHILIPPINES

2022 CALAX Progress

Initiative Status:
Achievement of Right-of-Way Acquisition (ROWA) (actual site possession)

99.80 percent for Laguna Side
63.11 percent for Cavite Side

On October 30, 2019, portions of Subsections 8, 7, and 6 (Sta. Rosa to Mamplasan) were opened to traffic. TOP was published on February 10, 2020, for Sections 8, 7, and 6.

On August 24, 2021, Subsection 5 (Sta. Rosa to Silang East IC) opened to traffic.The contractor has already mobilized for Cavite Segment Subsection 1.

As of June 27, 2022, the following building goals have been met:

Sections 8, 7, and 6: 100 percent
Section 5, Subsection 5: 100%
Section 4 of the report: 63.528 percent
Total for the Laguna Segment: 95.13%
Total for the Cavite segment: 40.59%
Total for CALAX’s entire alignment: 61.87 percent

Conclusion

Metro Pacific, which is involved in the distribution of power and water, railroads, and hospital operations, continued to depend heavily on tollways for its financial success.

Long-term economic growth and user convenience are increased by the construction of tollways. It is more important to see the positive aspects of this endeavor than the negative ones in order to balance out the daily situation.

Even though the route is yet incomplete, we might be able to use the tollways entirely by the second semester.