By Ferdinand Patinio | Philippine News Agency
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be conducting engineering technology testing for the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Rebuild project.
In a television interview on Tuesday, July 8, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said that while they are yet to determine how long the entire process could take, it will initially involve two main steps: strengthening the base and sub-base of the road, and installing a running surface.
Secretary Bonoan said, “If the engineering technology testing is successful, there will be no need to excavate the entire section of EDSA.”
He added, “We are trying to put it into a time and motion process to determine how long it will take us to [complete] the rebuild program. We will conduct the tests on the most travelled roads, the ones frequently used by trucks.”
The Public Works chief added that the installation of the running surface will still be done by lane and mostly at night to ease traffic congestion.
On June 1, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered a one-month suspension of the EDSA rehabilitation, which was originally scheduled to begin on June 13.
He underscored the need to reassess the cost-benefit of the two-year rehabilitation project, citing the heavy traffic burden it would impose on hundreds of thousands of commuters and motorists using EDSA.
In his vlog on June 8, the Chief Executive said the rehabilitation would not proceed, unless comprehensive rerouting plans are in place and local government units are fully prepared to handle the expected disruptions.
The 23.8-kilometer major thoroughfare spans five Metro Manila cities—Caloocan, Quezon, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay. (PNA)
