SANTA ROSA, Laguna—Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar has assured that the first portions of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) will be temporarily opened in time for the commemoration of the All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days to help cushion the expected surge in traffic volumes during the holidays.
The first portions, particularly at the Laguna segment of the Calax, cover a 10-kilometer stretch from Mamplasan to Santa Rosa.
“We expect that this road will accommodate roughly 10,000 vehicles per day during the Undas. This will be passable by next week,” he said. “We will open the entry and exit points at Mamplasan, Biñan Laguna, and Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road.”
Currently, the project is about 90 percent completed.
“The remaining 10 percent are portions of the expressway that need to be harmonized [and] we are fast-tracking those portions,” Villar added.
This section will only be open to traffic during certain traffic management arrangements.
MPCala Holdings Inc. President Roberto V. Bontia noted that his group is hastening the completion of the first sections of the Calax for its official opening.
“We are in close coordination with the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways]. Together, we align with the different stakeholders and update them of the developments in the construction, inform them of the features of the expressway and the benefits that Calax will bring to the areas it will traverse. We jointly agreed to open and serve motorists who will travel this Undas,” he said.
Calax is envisioned to be a four-lane, 45-kilometer roll road that will connect the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) and the South Luzon Expressway (Slex). It will have eight interchanges, namely: Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, Technopark, and a Toll Barrier before Slex.
It will be equipped with Automatic License Plate Recognition System, which enables a “barrier-less entry.” It will also sport IP-based Speed Detection Cameras, CCTVs, and will feature various commercial establishments such as gasoline stations, retail outlets, convenience stores, and restaurants, among others.
The Laguna section of Calax is expected to be opened before the year ends.