Full EDSA rebuild planned with new pavement tech — Bonoan

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan discussed the agency's plans to rebuild the EDSA highway during a joint press conference with the MMDA and Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday.

Bonoan briefly explained the need for the reconstruction, citing the deterioration of EDSA due to time and heavy traffic volume.

"Over the years, with everything that EDSA has gone through — the traffic and the sheer volume of vehicles passing through — it has actually outlived both its design capacity and structural design," he said in English and Filipino after giving a quick history of the highway.

He emphasized that while EDSA has undergone multiple reblocking efforts in the past, these are only temporary solutions. Continued reliance on reblocking may further delay a long-term fix.

"We will replace the current pavement of EDSA with a new one. In other words, we will remove the existing pavement and install a more durable, brand-new surface. We’ll be using the latest technology in concrete mix, and on top of that, we’ll add a thick asphalt running surface," he said.

Bonoan said the DPWH, in coordination with DOTr, is assessing how to implement the reconstruction with minimal traffic disruption.

"So we studied this together with the DOTr and agreed on the schemes that we have to adopt," he said.

To speed up the rebuilding process, multiple contractors may be tapped.

"We’ll start with the southbound side. We probably won’t finish the southbound in one year since it’s already the middle of the year. Then we’ll likely continue with the northbound side by next year," he said.

He added that the timeline considers the 2026 ASEAN Summit.

"So the directive to us is that we have to avoid any construction on EDSA during the time the ASEAN meeting takes place in 2026," he said.

Bonoan said reconstruction will begin in the section from Pasay to Guadalupe.