MANILA, Philippines — Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar yesterday led the ceremonial opening of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) Sub-section 5 from Silang East Interchange to Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange in Cavite.

“While this pandemic may have slowed down and disrupted the implementation of projects, the Sub-section 5 or 5.14 kilometers Silang East Interchange to Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange component of Cavite Laguna Expressway or CALAX Project was completed and will now be opened to public use,” said Villar during the event.

“The opening of Sub-section 5 will be able to cater to around 5,000 motorists daily, adding to the roughly 10,000 users of the already opened CALAX Sub-sections 6, 7, and 8 from Sta. Rosa to Mamplasan,” he added.

According to Villar, ongoing subsections are also being fast-tracked by concessionaire MPCALA Holdings to be able to fully-open the entire 45-kilometer CALAX connecting CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite and South Luzon Expressway-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

Once fully completed, CALAX will significantly reduce travel time between CAVITEX and SLEX to only 45 minutes, reducing traffic congestion particularly in Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road which are heavily congested and supporting national development policy and provide efficient transport facilities for the Ecozones in Cavite and Laguna provinces.

“More than providing efficient transportation links, the CALAX project under public-private partnership arrangement with the MPCALA Holdings, a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., will help hasten economic recovery by providing jobs and promote the Calabarzon as a preferred destination for investment and growth,” added Villar.

The P35.68-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway which began construction in July 2017 is part of a bigger Build Build Build program of the government.