If you are planning to squeeze in one last holiday errand, reunion, or out-of-town send-off, brace yourself for slower-than-usual trips along EDSA. While the Christmas rush may be winding down, a new bottleneck has quietly taken its place, with multiple sections of the capital’s busiest highway undergoing repairs through January 5, 2026.
From December 24 onward, motorists passing through Makati and Pasay have begun to feel the effects of lane narrowing as the Department of Public Works and Highways presses ahead with round-the-clock road works. Inner lanes in several stretches are being taken over for concrete reblocking, while other areas are seeing asphalt overlay works that shift traffic between inner and outer lanes.
The result is a series of rolling choke points that can quickly turn a routine drive into a test of patience.
According to DPWH, the work is being done 24 hours a day until January 5 to take advantage of lighter holiday traffic. After that, construction will move to a night-only schedule, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., in an effort to ease daytime congestion.
The agency emphasized that the repairs are being carried out one lane at a time, with no full road closures planned, allowing EDSA to remain passable even as sections are rehabilitated.
These short-term disruptions are part of a much larger plan. The EDSA rehabilitation program is expected to run for eight months and will be rolled out in phases. The first phase focuses on the stretch from Roxas Boulevard to the EDSA–Orense area in Makati, with the remaining sections of the highway scheduled for work in the latter half of the project.
For now, drivers can expect the most noticeable slowdowns around Pasay landmarks, major intersections, and areas near transport hubs, where lane reductions are most frequent.
Traffic managers are advising motorists to plan trips carefully over the next week, especially during peak hours, and to consider alternative routes or public transport options where possible. While the inconvenience is hard to miss, DPWH maintains that the long-term payoff will be a safer, smoother EDSA once the rehabilitation is complete.
In the meantime, patience—and a bit of extra travel time—will be essential companions for anyone taking to the road as the year draws to a close.