A unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and DM Consunji Inc. on Friday signed a P7.2-billion contract to build the Laguna segment of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) project.
“We plan to break ground next month, three months ahead of schedule. By the end of 2020, when we inaugurate the expressway, Calax will be the most modern expressway in the country with state-of-the-art operation and tolling systems and environment-friendly features,” Luigi Bautista, president and chief executive of the MPCALA Holdings, said.
He said the Public Works Department already delivered 16 percent of the entire right of way, enough to start the construction of Calax.
Calax, one of the largest public-private partnership projects, involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway.
The P35.4-billion expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.
The project will have eight interchanges and one main toll barrier.
MPCALA also tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to build the Cavite side of Calax.
Bautista said the company was in talks with several banks to finance the Calax.
“We are raising about P17 billion for the project,” he added.
When the project is completed, travel through the Calax will take only about 45 minutes from Kawit, Cavite to Biñan in Laguna.
Aside from Calax, the Metro Pacific group is constructing Segment 10 of NLEx Harbour Link, a 5.6-km elevated expressway costing P10.5 billion and running from Valenzuela City to C3 in Caloocan City. The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2017.
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. earlier signed a joint venture agreement with the city of Cebu and the municipality of Cordova in April 2016 to build the P27.9-billion Cebu-Cordova Bridge project.
The 8.25-km bridge project, set to be completed by 2020, will connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova.
