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Elijah Felice Rosales - The Philippine Star
June 3, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation will still deploy additional buses in the EDSA busway and trains in the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 despite the one-month deferment of the EDSA rehabilitation project.
According to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, 100 more EDSA carousel buses will be added to serve commuters.
“Regardless of the EDSA rebuild, the President’s instructions have always been clear – to make the commuting experience as convenient as possible – so we are always on our toes finding ways to do that,” he said.
Initially, the project was scheduled to begin on June 13 and last for two years, a situation that raised concerns from commuters, motorists and lawmakers.
President Marcos has given the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) a month to come up with an alternative, and wants the redevelopment done in as fast as six months.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and see how we can hasten the EDSA rebuild, including what the President said that we have to look into new technologies of construction and materials that are available. We will look into the experiences in other developed countries. We will look at what equipment that they are using in such massive projects,” Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said over dzMM Teleradyo.
“I think, aside from the actual rebuild of EDSA, he also wants the traffic management protocols to be also reviewed so that it can be understood by the general public,” he added.
However, Bonoan stressed that there is a real need for the conduct of a massive EDSA rehab.
“The entire pavement of EDSA is 59 years old,” he said.
Bonoan noted that there was a real danger of an “exponential” breaking of the highway pavement if a section of it suffers a serious break.
Following the one-month deferment of the EDSA rehab, the government also paused the enforcement of the odd-even scheme in EDSA and the toll holiday in Skyway Stage 3 and North Luzon Expressway Connector.
Based on data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, EDSA is being used by an average of 437,873 vehicles daily.
DPWH slammed
Senate President Francis Escudero yesterday blasted the DPWH for what he described as “insufficient planning” in the rehabilitation of EDSA, despite having years to properly study the project.
Speaking to reporters, Escudero said the one-month suspension ordered by President Marcos was the right move, citing the absence of alternative routes and the project’s potential to cause prolonged hardship for commuters.
“Two or three years is too long for the rebuild. Pity our commuters and motorists who use EDSA – which is our main route,” he said.
Escudero also questioned why the DPWH failed to provide additional crossings over the Pasig River, despite knowing the Guadalupe Bridge would be affected.
“What I know is two separate bridges. Why don’t they create a bailey bridge that is connected and will cross Pasig River, so that we can ease the burden of our commuters in case the Guadalupe Bridge will be repaired – which is really overdue. The DPWH lacked planning and preparation despite the long period of time that this project was postponed,” he said.
Escudero added that even a one-month suspension would be sufficient for the government to reassess the urgency of the project and determine whether it can still wait.
He also backed the use of more advanced construction technology to minimize traffic disruptions, citing quick-drying cement and bridge repair methods used in Europe.
Likewise, San Juan City Mayor and Metro Manila Council chair Francis Zamora backed Marcos’ deferment of the EDSA rebuild, citing the need for less disruptive and more efficient reconstructive methods.
“While we recognize the urgency of EDSA’s structural rehabilitation, we commend the President’s resolve to ensure that such projects will not unnecessarily burden the Filipino people,” he said.
As a city traversed by EDSA, San Juan is ready to cooperate with national agencies in exploring alternative traffic routes and engineering solutions, he added.
Zamora cited ongoing efforts in San Juan to ease traffic congestion, including regular road-clearing operations along Mabuhay Lanes and the recent opening of the Greenhills-West Crame Connector Road. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Neil Jayson Servallos, Mark Ernest Villeza
