The Cavite–Laguna Expressway (CALAX or CALAEX), signed as E3 of the
Philippine expressway network, is a partially operational
controlled-access toll expressway in the provinces of
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
and
Laguna,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. The construction of the expressway, which began in June 2017, costs an estimated .
Once completed, it will connect the
Manila–Cavite Expressway in
Kawit
Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit (), is an urban municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of ...
to the
South Luzon Expressway in
Biñan
Biñan (), officially the City of Biñan (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 407,437, making it the third largest in population in the province of Laguna, after ...
and is expected to ease the traffic congestion in the Cavite–Laguna area, particularly along the
Aguinaldo Highway,
Governor's Drive, and the
Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road.
Route description

CALAX begins as the Mamplasan Rotunda, a
roundabout
A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...
intersecting with
South Luzon Expressway's Greenfield City-Unilab (Mamplasan) Exit, LIIP Avenue, and Greenfield Parkway in
Biñan
Biñan (), officially the City of Biñan (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 407,437, making it the third largest in population in the province of Laguna, after ...
.
It continues west, then makes a
reverse curve
In civil engineering, a reverse curve (or "S" curve) is a section of the horizontal alignment of a highway or rail route in which a curve to the left or right is followed immediately by a curve in the opposite direction.
On highways in the Unit ...
to the southwest through the future Greenfield City Biñan development. It enters the Laguna Boulevard right of way near the boulevard's intersection with Greenfield Parkway. It approaches the first toll plaza near the Verdana Homes
gated community
A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...
and continues southwest, passing through a mix of developed and undeveloped areas at barangays Loma, Timbao and Malamig, then turning south into barangay Biñan, where it passes near Laguna Technopark,
De La Salle University
De La Salle University (), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private, Catholic coeducational research university run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools with main campus in Taft Avenue, Malate, Man ...
– Laguna Campus and several gated communities; access for them is provided by
service roads. The expressway partially runs above grade, utilizing underpass bridges,
mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, and a
viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...
at this section to pass above major intersections and accesses.
Entering
Santa Rosa, CALAX descends into grade level to cross the Silang–Santa Rosa River and clear a power line, then gently curves to the southwest to follow the Nuvali Boulevard right of way, where the expressway ascends above grade again to pass over South Boulevard, served by the Laguna Boulevard Exit. Past the exit, it leaves the Nuvali Boulevard right of way and crosses the Silang–Santa Rosa River again, this time the
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
–
Laguna provincial boundary into
Silang. It makes another reverse curve through cornfields to the Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Exit, a trumpet interchange which leads to
Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road.
The expressway continues southwest and makes a few turns before traversing a bridge and entering a
cut
Cut or CUT may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** ...
section, passing near South Forbes Golf City and
Ayala Westgrove Heights. It turns northwest and passes under Tibig Road, passing by Silang East Exit, a diamond interchange which leads to Tibig-Kaong Road. Then, it runs for until it reaches its current terminus at Silang (Aguinaldo) interchange, which provides access to
Aguinaldo Highway. Its section from there to Kawit, where it will be linked to the
Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) via the elevated CAVITEX–CALAX Link.
History
Planning and development

In the 1990s and 2000s, the original plan for the expressway was Segment 5 of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP) under the R-1 Expressway Extension, when Cavite was going to transform into a highly industrialized province, which was conceptualized by
Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
in 1988 when she proposed the implementation of the Cavite Trade and Industry Plan. The segment would have been a extension from Kawit, connecting to the existing Segment 4 to
Noveleta that was also proposed in 2004. However, the portion was absorbed into the planned link between CAVITEX and CALAX (CAVITEX–CALAX Link).
In 2006, the
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social gr ...
(JICA) conducted a study on the CALA East-West National Road. JICA later conducted another study, this time on the master plan of the High Standard Highway Network (HSH) in 2010, which included the expressway project. In 2012, JICA also conducted a study for the expressway that proposed building the Laguna section.
The original plan was that the project had to be financed through two funding schemes: the
official development assistance
Official development assistance (ODA) is a category used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure foreign aid. The DAC first adopted the concept in 1969. It is w ...
(ODA) would have funded the portion of the Laguna section, while the
public-private partnership (PPP) would handle the construction of the Cavite section. The project would later be revised as a PPP scheme, approved by President
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
on January 18, 2013.
Construction and groundbreaking

In November 2013, four pre-qualified bidders were vying for CALAX: Alloy MTD Philippines Inc.; Team Orion, the consortium of AC Infrastructure Holdings Inc., AboitizLand, Inc., and
Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings Philippines; MPCALA Holdings Inc.; and Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. of
San Miguel Corporation
San Miguel Corporation (), abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally fo ...
.
On June 12, 2014, Team Orion, the joint venture of
Ayala Corporation
Ayala Corporation (, formerly ''Ayala y Compañía''; ) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and Antonio de Ayala during Spanish colonial rule, ...
and
Aboitiz Equity Ventures
Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) is a Philippine holding company based in Metro Manila, with roots from Cebu City. The conglomerate operates in six major industries: Power, Banking and Financial Services, Food, Infrastructure, and Data Scienc ...
, won the bid, placing a concession payment of for the project. Optimal Infrastructure was disqualified because its bid security fell short of the 180 days required by the government. Its bid envelope specified a financial bid of . The bidding became controversial, and in October of that year, Ayala and Aboitiz expressed disappointment over the government when they bidded again.
The Office of the President has finally decided to rebid the project until then and re-approve it on February 17, 2015. MPCALA Holdings, the consortium led by
Metro Pacific Investments Corporation
Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is a Philippine unit investment holding company of First Pacific Company Limited through Metro Pacific Holdings, Inc. MPIC through its subsidiaries, provides water, sanitation, and sewerage servic ...
and its subsidiary,
Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), won by submitting a concession premium of to be paid to the government. This is higher than San Miguel's bid of .
The project's groundbreaking occurred on June 19, 2017, and right-of-way acquisition continues as of October 2017. According to a statement by MPCALA Holdings President Luigi Bautista, construction of the Cavite portion of the expressway was expected to begin in April 2018. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Cavite segment was eventually held on March 27, 2019. Meanwhile, the
Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
, then headed by
Secretary
A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...
Mark Villar, expected the Laguna segment to be opened by October 2019. The Laguna segment became fully operational, while the Cavite segment is still undergoing construction. Both segments were expected to be fully operational and completed by 2022 but were delayed to 2023 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and again to 2025 due to construction delays.
Partial opening and gradual extensions
The first section of the expressway between Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan and Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road was made accessible on October 30, 2019, in time for
All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are know ...
and
All Souls' Day
All Souls' Day, also called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by Christians on 2 November. In Western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism and certain p ...
. However, its length is conflicting, with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation stating it as while news outlets report it as . The entry and exit points at each end were opened to serve an estimated 10,000 cars. According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, this would cut travel time from 45 minutes to 10 minutes. However, the segment was supposed to be operational back in December 2018 or by February 2019.
The expressway was closed from January 28 to 31 and February 4 to 7, 2020, from 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM (
PST) to give way for construction and clearing operations due to
ashfalls brought on by the
2020 Taal Volcano eruption.
On August 18, 2020, the Laguna Technopark and Laguna Boulevard Exits in Biñan and Santa Rosa, respectively, were opened to the public.
On August 24, 2021, the section leading to the Silang East interchange in Silang, Cavite was opened to the public
two months behind its initial June 2021 opening.
Meanwhile, the section leading to the Silang (Aguinaldo) interchange opened to motorists on November 8, 2023, two months behind its initial September opening.
On March 21, 2025, President
Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
inspected the under-construction Governor's Drive Interchange in
General Trias
General Trias (), officially the City of General Trias (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...
, which is 44 percent complete and is expected to be operational by the third quarter of this year.
Toll

Cavite–Laguna Expressway is a
closed road system in which motorists pay a toll based on their vehicle class and distance travelled. Toll collection is done upon exit. Easytrip Services Corporation operates the
electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection (ETC) is a wireless system to automatically collect the usage fee or Road pricing, toll charged to vehicles using toll roads, HOV lanes, toll bridges, and toll tunnels. It is a faster alternative which is replacing Tol ...
(ETC) system on the expressway, and collections are done on mixed lanes at the toll barriers.
Under the law, all toll rates include a 12%
value-added tax
A value-added tax (VAT or goods and services tax (GST), general consumption tax (GCT)) is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added at each stage of a product's production and distribution. VAT is similar to, and is often compared wi ...
.
In 2023, the tollway system between Greenfield and Santa Rosa–Tagaytay toll plazas initiated a two-month dry-run of
contactless tolling operations.
Exits
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavite-Laguna Expressway
Toll roads in the Philippines
Roads in Cavite
Roads in Laguna (province)