Get to Tagaytay Faster When the CALAX Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange Opens in September

Heads up, motorists: The Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) will open by September 2023, cutting your Tagaytay trips shorter at just 20 minutes from this new exit, Metro Pacific Tollway South said Thursday, August 3.

Currently, it will take around an hour from the Mamplasan Rotonda before motorists can enjoy the view from Tagaytay. Travel time is cut to 30 minutes if you exit at CALAX's Silang East interchange.

The Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange is 91% complete as of August 1 and is scheduled to be completed by end of August, said construction manager Wilson Bontigao. Operations are eyed to start around mid-September, Arlette Capistrano, MPT South's Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management told the media.

Construction delays hounded the opening of the Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange, with right-of-way issues blamed for the delayed completion of the fifth of the eight segments of the four-lane, 45-kilometer expressway.

The entire stretch is eyed to be operational by November 2024, and is seen to benefit 50,000 motorists daily.

Also read:
10 Scenic Restaurants In and Around Tagaytay Worth the Drive
10 Under-the-Radar Spots In and Around Tagaytay for Your Next Getaway

What you need to know about CALAX

The highway will link the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX) and Mamplasan in Binan, Laguna upon its completion, reducing travel time from CAVITEX to South Luzon Expressway by about 45 minutes. It is also seen to decongest roads specifically in Governor's Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road in the government's aim to make Calabarzon an "investment destination."

There will be eight interchanges total: Kawit, Open Canal, Governor's Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang-Aguinaldo, Silang East, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, Laguna Technopark, and a toll barrier before Greenfield-Mamplasan in Binan.

Currently, only 14.24 kilometers are operational from Greenfield Mamplasan to Silang East Interchange. Once the Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange opens, almost four kilometers more will be added to its operation.

As for toll fees, CALAX uses Easytrip RFIDs which motorists can also use to pay toll in Cavitex, Cavitex C5 Link, North Luzon Expressway and Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). But in case you still don't have it, cash is accepted in some toll plazas.

Also read: Caloocan to España in Five Minutes? This New Section of the NLEX Connector Aims to Make it Happen

The toll fees are as follows:

Photo by CALAX.

From: SPOT.ph