ILOILO — The proposed Iloilo–Capiz–Aklan Expressway (ICAEx) is expected to significantly reduce travel time across Panay Island, linking two cities and 20 municipalities in Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan once completed.
A major infrastructure project in Western Visayas, the ICAEx is moving forward following the allocation of new funding by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The project involves the construction of a 210-kilometer, four-lane expressway featuring elevated roadways, viaducts, a tunnel, and a long-span bridge, designed as a controlled-access highway connecting the three provinces.
At present, travel time from Iloilo to Ivisan, Capiz takes around two hours over a distance of about 100 kilometers, while the trip from Ivisan to Kalibo, Aklan takes approximately one hour and 30 minutes across 67 kilometers. Once operational, the expressway is expected to substantially shorten these travel times.
In Capiz, the expressway will traverse the municipalities of Dumarao, Cuartero, Dao, Jamindan, Sigma, Ivisan, and Sapian, as well as Roxas City. In Iloilo, the main entry point will be located in Barangay M.V. Hechanova in the municipality of Leganes.
The Leganes entry point is strategically positioned near the proposed bridge approach of the Panay–Guimaras Bridge, a key component of the Panay–Guimaras–Negros Island Bridges Project, further strengthening regional connectivity.
According to project proponents, the ICAEx aims to decongest existing national highways by bypassing heavily populated areas and known traffic chokepoints. It is also expected to improve the region’s logistics network by facilitating the faster movement of goods from production areas to markets.
In addition, the expressway is seen to enhance emergency response capabilities, particularly during flooding and other weather-related incidents, by providing faster and more reliable access routes.
The project is likewise expected to boost tourism development across Panay Island by improving access to various tourist destinations in Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan, supporting economic growth and regional development./PN
