It is expected to provide faster and more convenient travel to Metro Manila.
On Monday, May 4, the 7.88-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) Subsection 3, which connects the expressway to the Governor’s Drive Interchange in General Trias, Cavite was formally opened to the public.
This new segment is expected to reduce traffic congestion and shorten the travel time from Biñan, Laguna to General Trias, Cavite to just 26 minutes, an improvement from the previous one hour.
Subsection 3 also provides a faster alternative route for commuters and businesses, avoiding heavy traffic on local roads in Cavite which continues to grow as an industrial and residential corridor.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who led the opening, announced that access to the tollway will be free for one month. “I can announce na mabuksan ito starting 12 midnight tonight and for one month, wala na muna toll.”
“So, ‘yung ating mga kababayan, gamitin po ninyo, makita ninyo, maramdaman ninyo na ang malaking ginhawa na dinadala nitong mga ganitong malalaking project,” he added.
Motorists will only pay the existing toll fees for CALAX Subsections 4 to 8 (Mamplasan in Biñan, Laguna to Silang Aguinaldo in Cavite).
The President was also joined by several government officials in riding the coaster from CALAX Silang Aguinaldo Interchange and conducting a windshield inspection of the 7.88-kilometer section of the project.
Among those present at the event were Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) President Emeritus Jose Ma. K. Lim.
Designed to accommodate 6,000 additional motorists daily, CALAX is currently 26 kilometers long from the Mamplasan Entry and will eventually extend to 44.6 kilometers, connecting the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Mamplasan.
The network has eight interchanges: Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa–Tagaytay, Silang East, Silang (Aguinaldo), Governor’s Drive, Open Canal, and Kawit.
“Bubuksan natin itong section, which is about four and a half kilometers. ’Yung dating kalahating oras na biyahe ay magiging five minutes na lang, six minutes, kaya’t malaking bagay ito,” said Marcos.
He continued, “At hindi lang kasi mabibilisan eh dahil ma-relieve din ang traffic. At tinitingnan namin doon sa mapa ay ‘yung inaantay natin na matagal na galing dito sa Silang hanggang Kawit na. ‘Yung dati mga dalawang oras, magiging kalahating oras, 45 minutes na lang.”
When fully completed, the combined network is expected to serve 95,000 vehicles per day, serving as the backbone of trade and mobility in the region.
“This is ten years in the making at pahirapan kasi as usual ‘yung nagiging problema natin sa lahat ng construction ng mga kalsada ‘yung right of way,” Marcos highlighted.
