Getting around Metro Manila via EDSA is about to be a lot more difficult in the next 17 months. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to start the rehabilitation of EDSA in June, seeking to replace the pavement, improve pedestrian lanes, and upgrade the drainage system.
The rehabilitation will be carried out in lanes and segments, which means that the highway will remain in use. It will start in the northbound bus lane from the Caloocan City-Quezon City boundary to Monumento. In addition to this, the Guadalupe Bridge will also be closed for repairs starting in October this year. According to the DPWH, a temporary bridge will be constructed as an alternative route.
According to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon, the EDSA carousel buses will continue to operate as usual, with over 200,000 daily commuters dependent on the bus system. For the 464,000 vehicles using the highway daily, alternative routes will be established by the DOTr, DPWH, and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
One of these alternative routes is Stage 3 of the Skyway, which runs from Buendia in Makati to Balintawak in Caloocan. In a statement, the DOTr said that it is working with the Toll Regulatory Board to waive toll fees in the said section of the Skyway and “explore options to grant [its operator] San Miguel Corporation some reprieve.”
“I-fa-finalize natin ‘yan in the coming weeks or months kasi hindi pa naman ‘yan kailangang gawin now kasi mag-mo-mobilize pa lang naman [ng equipment] ang DPWH,” Dizon said. The mobilization of equipment is reported to start on June 13. Excavation is set to start two weeks later.
Trucks and buses, excluding the EDSA carousel buses, will also not be allowed to use EDSA from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“Absolute po, bawal ang provincial buses, trucks, and other big vehicles sa EDSA. Kasi with the adjustments po, mas kikipot ‘yong mga lanes,” said MMDA Chairman Romando Artes.
Starting June 16, the MMDA will also conduct a one-week dry run of an odd-even coding scheme to reduce the volume of vehicles along the highway. Vehicles with plates ending in odd numbers will not be allowed to use EDSA on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, vehicles with plates ending in even numbers, including 0, will not be allowed to use the highway. All vehicles may use EDSA on Sundays.
