Major EDSA makeover starts soon

Major EDSA makeover starts soon | Daily Tribune

The much-anticipated rehabilitation of EDSA — Metro Manila’s busiest and most battered thoroughfare — will begin the night of 13 June, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced.

In a press conference on Monday at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) headquarters, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the full reconstruction of EDSA’s 24-kilometer stretch is finally happening, following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“We’re going to completely rebuild the road, northbound and southbound — around 200 kilometers (of roadway) in total,” Bonoan said. “This means digging up the old pavement and replacing it with a much stronger, more durable one.”

The initial priority section will be from Pasay City to Guadalupe in Makati City in both directions — which the government wants fully repaired ahead of the country’s hosting of the ASEAN Summit next year.

“We’ll be using the latest concrete mix technologies. On top of that, we’ll be laying a thick asphalt layer to ensure a smoother ride for everyone,” Bonoan said.

But with major repairs come major traffic concerns — and that’s where the government’s traffic mitigation plan comes in.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon assured the public the EDSA busway will remain operational during the rehab period to continue serving thousands of commuters.

To help ease the congestion, Dizon said the government is considering making the Skyway Stage 3 toll-free. On top of that, they plan to deploy 100 more buses on the busway and add more train cars to the MRT-3.

As for the traffic on the ground, MMDA chairman Romando Artes said the agency will strictly enforce an odd-even scheme on EDSA to reduce vehicle volume by up to 40 percent.

Vehicles with license plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be barred from the thoroughfare on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while those ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 will not be allowed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The odd-even scheme will be implemented starting 16 June.

This will be alongside the regular number coding scheme.

The MMDA is hopeful its traffic mitigation plan will prevent gridlock on Metro Manila’s busiest roadway.

Artes said that if all goes according to plan, the vehicle volume on EDSA could be reduced by as much as 40 percent while the reconstruction is underway.

“If we make the Skyway toll-free, that alone could take away about 10 to 20 percent of the traffic volume on EDSA,” Artes explained. “If we add the odd-even scheme to that, we’re looking at a total reduction of up to 40 percent. That should ease the flow of traffic, prevent a carmageddon, and help increase travel speed.”

To further reduce congestion, Artes said provincial buses, trucks, and other large vehicles will be temporarily banned from going on EDSA between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. every day.

Changes in the use of lanes will also be introduced. The bike lane separators on EDSA will be removed, and a dedicated motorcycle lane will be opened to streamline vehicle flow and improve safety.

The government is also preparing alternate routes while the EDSA rehab is ongoing. Artes said these side roads will undergo daily clearing operations to ensure they remain free of obstructions.

The entire project is expected to last until 2027.