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The rehabilitation of EDSA will finally start on December 24 with a shorter timeline, lower budget, and minimal disruption to motorists and commuters
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Under the new plan, work will be implemented in just eight months instead of two years, and with a budget of P6 billion instead of P17 billion
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Phase 1 will cover Roxas Boulevard EDSA-Orense, and Phase 2 the rest of EDSA
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Under Phase 1, simultaneous 24-hour reblocking works and asphalt overlay will be conducted from 11:00 p.m. of December 24 to 4:00 a.m. of January 5
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From January 5 to May 31, work will shift to 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
The rehabilitation of EDSA will finally push through on December 24, 2025 with a shorter timeline, lower budget, and minimal disruption to motorists and commuters, according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Vince Dizon.
Under the new plan, work will be implemented in just eight months instead of two years, and with a budget of P6 billion instead of P17 billion, Dizon said in a press briefing on December 17.
This will be possible because under the new plan, reblocking will only be done on selected areas instead of the original plan of reblocking the whole thoroughfare, he said.
With the use of new technology and adjustment in the cost of materials, the budget has also been slashed significantly.
Dizon added that the new plan has undergone stakeholders’ consultation, especially with utilities companies that need to align their works with the rehabilitation timeline.
Last May, DPWH, the Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced the plan to rebuild EDSA that would have started last June.
Amid widespread fears of massive traffic congestion, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on June 1 that the plan will be suspended until the government finds “better ways” to implement the rehabilitation.
The project will now be implemented in two phases:
- Phase 1 covering Roxas Boulevard EDSA-Orense
- Phase 2 covering the rest of EDSA
The first phase will be implemented in two phases as well.
From 11:00 p.m. of December 24 to 4:00 a.m. of January 5, simultaneous 24-hour reblocking works and asphalt overlay will be conducted.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes, during the same press briefing, said they are taking advantage of the holiday season because based on experience and data, traffic is lesser during this period as many people in Metro Manila are either abroad or in the provinces.
There will also be no changes to the number coding scheme during this period.
Dizon added that the target is to complete the reblocking works on the EDSA busway and other lanes by January 5 when regular commuters are back from the holidays.
From January 5 to May 31, works will shift to 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. During weekdays, asphalt overlay will be done lane by lane, while asphalt overlay and reblocking per lane per bound will be conducted during weekends.
Dizon said the instruction is that after finishing work at 4:00 a.m., the covered roads should already be passable by 5:00 a.m.
For the second phase covering the rest of EDSA, asphalting will only be done at nighttime and no road closures will be implemented.
With this schedule, Dizon said there will be minimal disruption and other mitigation measures earlier presented, such as diversion of traffic to Skyway, will no longer be needed.
For the rehabilitation, Dizon said they will be using stone matic asphalt, which he noted is used in Japan.
Despite being a little costlier, Dizon said stone mastic asphalt is stronger than regular asphalt, is skid resistant, and absorbs water faster. It also has a longer maintenance life, which means there will be less need for maintenance and reblocking works.
