ROW delivery impacts CALAX completion

MANILA, Philippines — Right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, which has caused delays in many projects in the past, has become even more challenging with the raging pandemic, affecting the full completion of the P52.5 billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

Metro Pacific Tollways South Management Corp. president and general manager Roberto Bontia said the completion of the 45-kilometer CALAX by the first quarter of 2023 would depend on the government’s delivery of right-of-way, especially on the project’s Cavite segment.

“We expect to complete the Cavite segment that should complete the entire CALAX by the first quarter of 2023. That is if we are able to get full right-of-way by the end of June this year,” Bontia said.

“The DPWH is targeting to complete the right-of-way delivery hopefully by end of June this year,” he said.

Bontia said right-of-way delivery for the Cavite segment from Kawit to Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange is about 56 percent at present.

“For right-of-way, similar to other projects, there was really a challenge during this pandemic. I think it was really a challenge if there are infection in our courts, our teams in DPWH where they need to shut down their offices, and same with their counterparts in the Office of the Solicitor General. Our courts also have skeleton operations so it is making it more complicated because of the pandemic,” Bontia said.

“So we’ve really been hit. We’ve been really affected in right-of-way. During normal times, it already involves a lot of documents, filings validation, on-site, and it became even more complicated with this pandemic because movement is restricted,” he said.

CALAX is a 45-kilometer toll road project that will reduce traffic congestion along Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway and Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, and reduce travel time from Cavite Expressway to South Luzon Expressway by about 45 minutes once fully completed.

The project is divided into two major portions, namely the Cavite segment spanning 27.2 kms and the Laguna segment covering 18.1 kms.

Construction of the Cavite segment, which will complete the entire 45.3-km CALAX project, was earlier eyed for completion by the second quarter of 2022.

The first 7.4-km section of the project from Mamplasan in Biñan, Laguna to Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road Interchange was inaugurated and opened to traffic in 2019.

A subsection spanning 7.2-kilometer linking Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange to Silang East Interchange is targeted to be opened to motorists by July, while another 2.8-km 2x2 lane expressway from Aguinaldo (Silang) to Silang East is eyed for completion by the first quarter of next year.

Bontia said the company is also going to start this year with the Segment 4 extension, which will serve as a connection for the Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) and CALAX.

“It’s only a one kilometer road but it’s important because once we finish CALAX by 2023, and then to enable it to have a seamless connection with CAVITEX, we need to construct that Segment 4 extension,” he said.