By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a press conference held at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) headquarters this Monday, May 26, key transport officials convened to discuss the interventions that will be put in place during the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) rebuild program.
Said initiative is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s mandate to rehabilitate the busy thoroughfare on the heels of constant wear and tear from the countless vehicles that ply the 23-kilometer road at the heart of Metro Manila.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan shared insights into the timeliness of the EDSA rebuild program, noting that constant reblocking of certain segments is a “perpetual activity” that simply patches up the deteriorating pavement of Metro Manila’s major thoroughfare.
The initiative to revitalize EDSA is a long-overdue upgrade, as the increase in vehicular traffic over the past decades has already exceeded the carrying capacity and the construction design of the primary highway that cuts through the heart of the metropolis since the last major works, which took place in 1980.
On the other hand, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon quelled false information claiming that the entirety of EDSA will be closed to all motorists once its rehabilitation begins in June.
He refuted such claims by tackling how his agency will keep the EDSA Busway operational amid the EDSA rebuild, with adjustments to the barriers being made depending on the location and progress on the segments that are being worked on by construction crews.
An additional 100 units would also be added to the EDSA Busway in a bid to augment the capacity of public transport as part of the revitalization of Metro Manila’s most significant thoroughfare.
“Ang priority ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., ‘yong 200,000 na commuters na gumagamit ng busway araw-araw,” Dizon said.
“Alam natin na magkaka-aberya, mas magkaka-traffic ng matindi, ang sabi ng Pangulo gawan ng paraan para maibsan ang aberya. Kailangan maghanap tayo ng ibang paraan,” the Transport Chief added.
Secretary Dizon also mentioned free toll on select segments of Skyway Stage 3 as one of the five interventions laid out by the three transportation agencies to minimize the inconvenience to motorists once construction works commence as part of the EDSA rebuild program.
He also cited several adjustments that would be made to the Metro Railway Transit 3 (MRT-3) to augment the public transport needs of commuters and speed up queues at train stations.
Such measures include the addition of more trains or usage of four-car trains and the removal of x-ray machines that check passengers’ belongings for prohibited items, with the latter already undergoing a dry run as of press time.
MMDA’s contributions to the EDSA rebuild program
Tasked with mitigation measures to alleviate traffic congestion once the revitalization of the 23-kilometer road begins, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes discussed the agency’s inputs on the said road rehabilitation initiative at the same press conference.
Chief among these interventions is the implementation of an odd/even number coding scheme which will be implemented on EDSA.
Under this policy, vehicles with license plates ending with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are prohibited on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On the other hand, those with plates ending with 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 are prohibited on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The scheme will not be implemented on Sundays.
“Sa ngayon, magiging 24 hours ang odd/even scheme. Pero tinitignan naming gawin ‘yang limited sa window hours,” Artes said.
“Yong implementation ng free toll sa Skyway, madi-distribute ang mga motorista. Yung mga bawal sa EDSA dahil sa odd/even scheme, pwede sa Skyway,” he added.
This measure would work in tandem with the free tolls on select segments of the Skyway that were previously discussed by Transport Secretary Vince Dizon, with the goal of significantly reducing traffic volume as the busy thoroughfare undergoes revitalization.
Likewise, all provincial buses, trucks, and other large vehicles will be prohibited from traversing EDSA except from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Enhanced clearing operations on official alternative roads around Metro Manila, also known as “Mabuhay Lanes”, will commence next week to rid these thoroughfares of obstructions and ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
“Sa mga [dumadaan sa] ‘Mabuhay Lanes’, araw-araw kami manghuhuli. Hindi ‘yong may clearing operations and then sa susunod na buwan na ulit,” the MMDA Chief said.
The agency will also prohibit motorcycles from entering overpasses and underpasses along EDSA, and is looking into the possibility of implementing an exclusive motorcycle lane to reduce accidents and decongest traffic at chokepoints along Metro Manila’s major thoroughfare.
These measures will be implemented vis-à-vis resumption of the no contact apprehension policy (NCAP) on major thoroughfares, after the Supreme Court partially lifted the restraining order on said policy earlier this month.
Public Works Secretary Bonoan disclosed that initial works for the EDSA rebuild program will commence on June 13, with the project expected to be completed in 2027. The total cost of this road infrastructure revamp is pegged at P8.7 billion.
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