By Emmie V. Abadilla Binan, Laguna - The first 10 kilometer segment of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) will open this October. The tollroad will serve 10,000 cars, eventually decongesting Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, according to Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar. Villar inspected yesterday the construction of the alignment starting from the Mamplasan Toll Barrier unto Silang East, Cavite interchange, accompanied by the DPWH Technical Team and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation subsidiary MP CALA Holdings, Inc executives. “Opening this first segment will be beneficial to the growing industrial, commercial and real estate centers of this part of the Southern Tagalog Region," he noted. "We are nearing the opening this October," Villar reiterated. "Despite some challenges in the Right of Way (ROW) acquisition which kept us from delivering earlier as we hoped, we are addressing these challenges in order to keep to the timeline and deliver the full 45km by early 2022." "Once completed it will only take 45 minutes from the usual 2-hour travel time taking the same route and about 50,000 cars will experience this convenience.” The first segment starts at the Mamplasan Barrier and passes through Laguna Technopark interchange, Laguna Boulevard Interchange all the way to Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange. “We look forward to deliver the full 45 kms by the second quarter of 2022," said MP Cala Holdings, Inc president Bobby Bontia. Motorists between Bacoor and Kawit, Cavite areas, and the Laguna and South Luzon areas will travel faster, safer and more comfortably. CALAX will have an Automatic License Plate Recognition System enabling barrier-less entry. IP Based Speed Detection Cameras will also be strategically installed together with HD CCTV coverage for the entire stretch of the expressway which will further ensure safety of the motorists. "There will be gasoline stations, retail outlets, convenience stores, restaurants, along with security, and maintenance centers to address the needs of every motorist who would pass through our toll road.” CALAX is designed to be a 4-lane, 45km tolled expressway that will connect CAVITEX in Kawit to SLEX at their Mamplasan Interchange in Binan Laguna. The Project will have interchanges in 8 locations, namely: Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Blvd., Technopark, and a Toll Barrier before SLEX. Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation’s domestic portfolio includes the concessions of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), the NLEX Connector Road, and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cebu.