Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC), a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), announced on Sunday that it will start collecting fees for the newly opened 1.6-kilometer (km) CAVITEX C5 Link Flyover Extension in September.
The “Segment 3A2” from Merville to E. Rodriguez (both in Parañaque) was opened to the motoring public at 6:00 a.m. of Aug. 14, the company said in an e-mailed statement.
“The Toll Regulatory Board has approved the provisional toll, for the now extended CAVITEX C5 Link: P37.00 for Class 1 vehicles; P74.00 for Class 2; and P112.00 for Class 3, but implementation will be deferred for September as the company’s goodwill to motorists,” it added.
The Segment 3A2 extends CAVITEX C5 Link’s 2.2-kilometer operational segment that spans between Merville — a village in Parañaque — and Taguig.
This provides “convenient access and improved travel time for motorists bound to C5 Road in Taguig from Merville, Parañaque, and vice versa,” the company said.
It is a “milestone achievement” in completing the CAVITEX C5 Link, a 7.7-km segment of CAVITEX that will connect to CAVITEX R1 Parañaque toll plaza, which will help reduce travel time from CAVITEX to Makati, Taguig, and Pasay by 30 to 45 minutes, while helping decongest EDSA, MIA road, Roxas Boulevard, and other major roads, CIC added.
The company expects that more than 50,000 motorists will benefit from the completion of the project in 2023.
The opening ceremony for the CAVITEX C5 Link Flyover Extension (Segment 3A2: Merville to E. Rodriguez) was held on Saturday, Aug. 13.
It was attended by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, and Public Works Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnerships Maria Catalina E. Cabral, among others.
“With the opening of the CAVITEX C5 Link Flyover extension, a new traffic scheme will be implemented for motorists entering the expressway in Merville. Vehicles from Parañaque going to Taguig shall now pass into the new C5 Link Flyover Merville entry located in front of Shell C5 Southlink, Brgy. Moonwalk, Parañaque,” CIC said.
The company told motorists to take advantage of the Easytrip RFID and use it “for more seamless travel.”
“We urge everyone to utilize Easytrip RFID to avoid the long line at cash lane and maximize the benefit of shorter travel time,” said CIC President and General Manager, Raul L. Ignacio.
CIC said it offers motorists free Easytrip RFID installation and RFID check-up at CAVITEX C5 Link Customer Service Center. Motorists will pay P200 for the initial load of the new Easytrip account.
MPTC’s parent, MPIC, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin