President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday inaugurated a vital new portion of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), bringing the 44.6-kilometer project closer to completion and significantly reducing travel times in Southern Luzon.
The newly opened 7.88-kilometer Subsection 3 extends the expressway to the Governor’s Drive Interchange in General Trias City, Cavite.
This extension slashes the commute between Biñan City, Laguna, and Cavite to approximately 26 minutes, down from the previous hour-long journey through local roads.
ONE-MONTH TOLL-FREE PERIOD
To celebrate the milestone and encourage immediate use of the route, the President announced that the new segment would be free of charge for the first 30 days.
“I can announce na mabuksan ninyo starting 12 midnight tonight… and for one month wala na muna toll,” Marcos said.
The toll holiday applies exclusively to Subsection 3; standard rates remain in effect for the existing 18 kilometers of the expressway.
OVERCOMING DELAYS
The President noted that the project was “10 years in the making,” largely due to complex legal and logistical hurdles.
He specifically credited the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for navigating these challenges to ensure the project reached this stage.
“Ang nagiging problema natin… yung right of way kaya dinahan-dahan,” he added, explaining the slower-than-expected progress of the construction.
IMPACT AND FUTURE CONNECTIVITY
The Metro Pacific-led project is expected to handle an additional 6,000 vehicles daily, providing a high-speed corridor for Cavite’s bustling industrial hubs and residential subdivisions.
With Subsection 3 now operational, CALAX spans roughly 26 kilometers from Mamplasan. Once the final sections are finished, the expressway will link directly to the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), creating a seamless connection for an estimated 95,000 daily motorists.