By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

After months of thorough planning and consultations with stakeholders, key transport officials introduced the recalibrated plan to rehabilitate the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Acting Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Romando Artes outlined the differences between the current plan to breathe new life into Metro Manila’s most important thoroughfare compared to an earlier version disclosed to the public on June 13.

Secretary Dizon began by briefly touching on the pain points that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pointed out in the initial EDSA Rebuild plan, which includes heavy traffic congestion that would burden motorists and commuters, and the prohibitive cost of the project compounded by a 2-year timeframe for its execution.

Dizon went on by reiterating the President’s directive of ensuring minimal disruption to common folk, echoing Marcos Jr.’s “We have to find a better way” statement on the EDSA Rebuild program.

Noteworthy revisions

The Public Works official began the presentation by comparing and contrasting the new plan vis-à-vis its older counterpart, highlighting these crucial differences:

• From a projected timeframe of 2 years, the new EDSA Rehab plan is envisioned to be completed in 8 months
• From an initial proposed budget of P17 billion, the new plan is now expected to cost only P6 billion
• From an initial plan to conduct concrete reblocking of the whole EDSA, the new project limits reblocking to selected areas
• The new program involves the use of Stone mastic asphalt (SMA), which is more durable and easier to maintain than conventional asphalt)

Dizon explained that the initiative will occur in two phases, with Phase 1 stretching from Roxas Boulevard to Orense and Phase 2 covering the remaining portion of EDSA—each is expected to be completed within a timeframe of 4 months, respectively.

He went on to tackle the schedule of the EDSA Rehab plan’s first phase, which would take place during the Christmas and New Year holidays, beginning on December 24, 11:00 p.m., and ending on January 5, 4:00 a.m.

During this period, simultaneous reblocking operations would be conducted by contractors in many portions of the Roxas-Taft area, and some patches in the Taft-Orense area. 

This would also include an asphalt overlay of the EDSA bus lane from Roxas Boulevard to Orense, in both northbound and southbound lanes.

After January 5, roadworks on the 23.8-kilometer roadway will be confined from late hours of the night to early morning—with lane-by-lane asphalt overlay taking place from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. (Monday-Friday) and asphalt overlay/reblocking confined to one lane in each direction from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. (Friday-Sunday). By 5:00 a.m., sections under construction would be reopened to regular traffic.

Acting Transportation Secretary Lopez chimed in by reassuring commuters that the EDSA Busway and MRT-3 will continue to remain operational and segregated from regular traffic during the course of the EDSA Rehab Phase 1, especially noting the addition of more units for the former and the introduction of new Dalian trains that would run on the latter before year-end to better serve the riding public.

Chairperson Artes concluded the presentation by issuing clarifications on proposed traffic interventions in the earlier plan, which include the following:

• Additional 100 units on EDSA Busway
• Waived toll fees on select segments of Skyway Stage 3
• Additional trainsets for MRT-3
• Odd-even number coding scheme on EDSA
• Round-the-clock clearing operations on alternate routes and Mabuhay Lanes

According to Artes, the new plan negates the need for these measures, citing the minimal disruption that the current rehabilitation framework would cause to motorists and commuters.

Setting the road straight

The presentation of the new plan was preceded by a press conference, in which the three transport officials responded to media queries on the plan to rehabilitate the major thoroughfare that cuts through the heart of Metro Manila.

Chairperson Artes clarified that public consultations with water companies, telecommunications providers, electricity companies, and other various stakeholders were conducted prior to introducing the recalibrated EDSA Rehab plan, with the MMDA chief hinting at the release of an advisory on areas affected by these roadworks in the coming days.

He also announced the agency’s deployment of additional personnel in tandem with marshals deployed by contractors and extra manpower from the local government units (LGUs), which would aid in traffic management during the course of EDSA’s rehabilitation.

Secretary Dizon moreover directed water concessionaires to conduct necessary repairs on pipelines along the course of the roadworks, vis-à-vis reblocking and asphalt overlay operations to minimize further inconveniences once contractors complete the reconditioning of Metro Manila’s primary roadway.

The Public Works czar concluded the briefing by envisioning these significant improvements contributing to a better outlook for the severely deteriorated thoroughfare, stressing that this initiative is not a band-aid solution and will last for several years to come.

More importantly, he declared that roadworks on Route 54 will be completed in time for the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2026. (with report from Gab Humilde Villegas | PTV News)

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