With the EDSA rehabilitation project set to begin in less than a month, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday acknowledged that the construction will likely inconvenience commuters, but assured the public that coordinated traffic management efforts are underway to minimize delays.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the department is closely working with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to implement a comprehensive traffic plan amid major roadworks along Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare.
“I’m sure there will be some inconvenience to some extent because we will be occupying some spaces along EDSA,” Bonoan said during a Palace briefing.
“But we are in coordination with the MMDA and DOTr to plan out traffic management in order to minimize the impact of the rehabilitation work,” he added.
Bonoan did not specify how much longer commuters could expect to spend on the road, though he acknowledged that additional travel time is possible.
Some analysts and commuters have speculated that travel along EDSA—already plagued by congestion—could increase by 30 minutes to an hour during the construction period.
To ease the burden on motorists, one of the proposals under review involves the use of Skyway Stage 3.
The DOTr is reportedly in talks with Skyway concessionaires to temporarily allow more vehicles to use the elevated expressway during the rehabilitation.
In addition, the MMDA is planning to further separate lanes based on vehicle type—cars, motorcycles, and bicycles—to prevent confusion and reduce bottlenecks along the route.
“MMDA is looking to delineate vehicle types lane by lane to smoothen travel and avoid chaos during the works,” Bonoan said.
The full rehabilitation schedule and alternate routes are expected to be officially released in the coming weeks.