Motorists will soon find more reasons to travel beyond Metro Manila’s southern borders. The Silang section of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) is set to open this month, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The Silang section of the Calamba-Laguna Expressway is set to open in June [Image: Dmitri Valencia]
Also known as Subsection 5, the 7.2-kilometer Silang portion of the tollway was initially projected to be serviceable by the third quarter of 2021, as reported by DPWH Secretary Mark Villar. Recently, Villar’s Facebook page unveiled progress photos of the work done on the segment, which has apparently been completed ahead of schedule. This prompted an adjustment of the original planned opening from September 2021 to June 2021.
“This is not a fake photo. When the Silang section of the Cavite Laguna Expressway opens this June, travel time from SLEX to Silang will only by 10 to 15 minutes. Next month, pwede niyo na po subukan (you can try it out),” the caption read.
Even a partial opening will already go a long way to ease traffic congestion in the area [Image: Dmitri Valencia]
According to Metro Pacific Tollways South (MPTS) President and General Manager Bobby Bontia, the CALAX Silang segment is already 94 percent complete as of May 14, 2021. Construction crews have been working on the drainage systems and installing road safety features. Final touches on the Silang Interchange toll plaza are also being added.
No date has been set by the DPWH for the Silang section’s opening, but if it does happen this month, the segment can serve as an alternate route for motorists between Biñan and Silang.
Motorists will have more reasons to head over south when CALAX is completed [Image: Dmitri Valencia]
The CALAX has a total length of 44.63 kilometers with an estimated cost of Php 35.43 billion, featuring eight interchanges at Kawit, Governor’s Drive, Open Canal, Silang (Aguinaldo) Highway, Silang East, Santa Rosa – Tagaytay Road, Laguna Boulevard, and Laguna Technopark.
Upon completion, it will link the Manila-Cavite Expressway in Kawit to the South Luzon Expressway in Biñan, easing traffic congestion in the area. CALAX is expected to serve some 45,000 vehicles while reducing travel time between Cavite and Laguna from two hours to 45 minutes.
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