MPCALA Holdings, the appointed concessionaire for the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), took select mobility and transportation journalists to view the latest developments of the expressway.

To date, Subsections 4-8 of CALAX (from Aguinaldo Highway in Silang to Mamplasan in Laguna) have been completed and are now open to the public. The last three subsections (1-3) are being rushed to completion.

Currently, roadworks, bridges, toll plazas, tunnels, drainage, and fencing works are simultaneously ongoing at several locations.

Subsection 1, measuring 8km from Kawit to Open Canal in Imus, has a 26% accomplishment, while Subsection 2, measuring 10.5km from Open Canal to Governor’s Drive in General Trias, has a 16% completion rate. Both subsections are slated to open in Q3 of 2025.

Subsection 3, measuring 7.8km and linking Governor’s Drive to Aguinaldo Highway in Silang, is 27% accomplished, with an opening target date sometime in Q1 2025—within seven months from now. We visited Subsection 3 a year ago, and all we saw were some sheds and the toll plaza structure. Today, it’s massively different with the main stretch going underground to bypass Governor’s Drive via a tunnel. There is also a satellite engineering office for MPCALA as the roadworks continue to meet.

Despite construction being done at multiple locations, the primary issue has been right-of-way turnover. The grantor, the Department of Public Works and Highways, is tasked to turn over acquired land to MPCALA before it can build. As always, dealing with government has its challenges.

Secondly, the weather of late has not been very cooperative as the construction teams have to continually test soil compaction after a heavy downpour before pouring concrete or erecting pillars and columns for bridges and overpasses.

Lastly, managing traffic in areas where CALAX crosses existing national highways, has been a huge challenge, and MPCALA has had to reschedule or push back construction affecting the highways while it comes up with engineering solutions to alleviate traffic during construction.

With Subsection 3 finished by early next year, MPCALA expects to significantly decongest Governor’s Drive and Aguinaldo Highway for vehicles traveling westbound from Laguna to Cavite. As of today, CALAX’s overall accomplishment stands at 64% construction completion.

Currently, CALAX serves an average of 45,000 motorists daily, with MPCALA predicting at least 95,000 motorists traversing it daily once the entire 44km tollroad is completed, connecting South Luzon Expressway in Laguna in the east, to the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in the west. This will reduce the normal three-hour drive to around 35 minutes, saving fuel, the environment, and vehicle running costs in the medium- to long-term.

That should help improve the quality of life in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, and spur economic growth. And to local tourists who love visiting the south, driving there will get even more convenient and less stressful.