The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) together with MPCALA Holdings Inc. conducted a regular inspection on the 14-kilometer operational segment of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) on Thursday, January 12.
The regulator’s inspectorate team, headed by TRB’s Officer-in-Charge Ms. Josephine T. Turbolencia, OIC Chief of the Regulation Division, Ms. Julita B. Bingco; Deputy Chief of Regulation Division Joz Carlos G. Ordillano, and spokesperson Mr. Julius G. Corpuz, looked over the expressway’s technological, safety, and security features, toll plaza operations, including the Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras and RFID system.
Aside from operational matters, TRB also checked the progress of the upcoming Silang (Aguinaldo) segment of CALAX, which remained unfinished due to right-of-way (ROW) issues critical to its construction completion. Once complete, the interchange will be just 20 minutes away from the city proper of Tagaytay, Cavite- the country’s second summer capital, via Aguinaldo Highway.
MPCALA said that its government partner Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now in full swing on the matter.
“While we work closely with our grantor, DPWH to fast-track delivery of right-of-way, especially in the critical area in Silang, we continue to do construction work on areas where right of way has already been granted so as not to further delay the project,” said MPCALA President Mr. Raul Ignacio.
Subsection 4 or the Silang (Aguinaldo) segment remains at 65% completion, while the overall CALAX project has reached more than 57%. Once completed, CALAX will connect to the busiest highway in Cavite- the Aguinaldo Highway- and help decongest major thoroughfares in Cavite and Laguna.
Eventually, CALAX will expand to 45 kilometers and will connect to the CAVITEX. At present, its operational segments stretched from Mamplasan in Binan, with interchanges at Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, up to Silang East Interchange.
MPCALA Holdings Inc. is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC). MPTC is the biggest toll road developer and operator in the Philippines. Aside from CALAX and CAVITEX, MPTC also holds the concession rights for North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), NLEX Connector Road, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cebu.