The EDSA busway will remain operational despite upcoming rehabilitation of the major thoroughfare, Malacañang assured commuters Thursday.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in an interview that the government is working to minimize traffic disruptions during the EDSA rehabilitation, particularly for bus carousel riders.
“The bus carousel will still continue,” Castro said. “What we will do is to determine how it will not cause traffic, but [the operations] will continue, it will not stop for our commuters.”
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) plans to begin the EDSA rehabilitation by the end of March, starting with the bus lane.
Earlier, Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Vince Dizon said portions of the busway will be temporarily closed for repairs, with buses using the adjacent lane.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan previously identified the EDSA rehabilitation as a priority infrastructure project for the Marcos administration, aimed at improving riding quality.
To recall, the DPWH-National Capital Region (NCR) said in an advisory Tuesday that the rehabilitation will be conducted in segments, one lane at a time, beginning with the EDSA bus lane.
“By end of March 2025, one segment of the rehabilitation will start in the northbound portion from Quezon City/Caloocan boundary to Monumento,” the DPWH-NCR said.
The southbound portion, consisting of 15 segments, will begin once funds are released and the contract is approved.
To expedite the project and minimize traffic disruptions, rehabilitation work will be conducted 24 hours a day.
The DPWH said the project is a long-term solution to frequent pothole patching and damaged pavements, using reinforced concrete to enhance road integrity. Asphalt overlay works will include anti-rutting and cracking measures to increase durability, and the drainage system will be improved with high-density polyethylene pipes.