A quick getaway to Tagaytay City from the metro this time of the year may not be a bad idea after all as the Department of Public Works and Highways announced that the 10-kilometer section of the Cavite Laguna Expressway (CALAX) will remain open this holiday season.
According to Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, the CALAX section between SLEX Mamplasan Interchange and Sta. Rosa City in Laguna will remain open for rest of holiday season in order to accommodate Tagaytay-bound motorists coming from Metro Manila.
“I have requested the concession company, MPCALA Holdings, to keep this section open so that our holiday goers can continue to enjoy this shortcut from Manila to Tagaytay City. We all know that Tagaytay City is a traditional Christmas holiday destination of our kababayans and this is our way of making their family road trips as convenient as possible,” Villar said.
He added that the section is expected to initially benefit 10,000 motorists every day.
The rest of the 45-kilometer section of CALAX is currently under construction. Once finished, the 2×2 lane expressway is expected to provide a quick alternative route between CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway at the Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.
The expressway will have eight interchanges: Kawit, Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, Silang, Silang East, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Blvd., and Laguna Technopark.
According to MPCALA Holdings president Roberto Bontia, CALAX “showcases advanced tolling technology and features the new Automatic License Plate Recognition System that, for the first time, enables motorists to enjoy barrier-free entry into the expressway system and eliminates queuing at both entry/exit points. The traffic management system will feature strategically installed (IP-based) speed-detection cameras and a high-definition CCTV system to ensure motorist safety and quick emergency roadside services.”
CALAX partially opened last October 30.