Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX)

The Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), formerly known as Coastal Road Expressway, serves as the primary expressway link between Metro Manila and the rapidly urbanizing northern Cavite corridor. Opened in 1998 and expanded multiple times since, this 14-kilometer expressway has been instrumental in transforming Bacoor and Kawit from sleepy towns into bustling urban centers housing hundreds of thousands of Metro Manila workers. CAVITEX runs along Manila Bay's eastern shore, with some sections offering views of the bay and spectacular sunsets. The expressway begins at Parañaque where it connects to NAIAX, providing convenient airport access, and proceeds south through reclaimed land and coastal areas before reaching Bacoor and terminating at Kawit near the historic Aguinaldo Shrine. CAVITEX features six lanes with modern toll collection systems and is particularly important for the daily commute of thousands of call center, BPO, and service industry workers who live in affordable Cavite housing but work in Manila's Entertainment City area. The expressway significantly reduced travel time from Bacoor to Manila from 90+ minutes via congested Aguinaldo Highway to 20-30 minutes in normal conditions. Key exits serve Parañaque (connecting to NAIAX and Coastal Road), Dr. A. Santos Avenue (Sucat commercial area), Bacoor (the municipality's commercial center including SM Bacoor), and Kawit (gateway to coastal Cavite). Recent extensions have added C-5 Road connectivity, improving access to Makati and BGC areas. The expressway operates 24/7 and is maintained by MPTC using Easytrip RFID technology, handling significant daily traffic volumes as Cavite's population exceeds 3 million.