The long-anticipated rehabilitation of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) officially starts on Christmas Eve, as the government moved to take advantage of the holiday lull to begin repairs on Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon announced that the project, which was previously delayed, has been streamlined from a two-year timeline to just eight months. The revised plan also carries a significantly lower price tag of ₱6 billion, down from the original ₱17 billion estimate.
“We are taking advantage of the Christmas break when traffic volume is at its lowest to perform the most intensive work,” Dizon said in a joint briefing with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The rehabilitation will be implemented in two phases of four months each: Phase 1: Covers the stretch from Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City to Orense Street in Makati City. Phase 2: Will cover the remaining portions of EDSA, including segments in Caloocan and Quezon City.
Initial works began at 11 p.m. on December 24 and will run 24/7 until 4 a.m. on January 5, 2026. During this 12-day window, crews will focus on concrete reblocking of select sections and an asphalt overlay of the EDSA Busway lanes.
Starting January 5, the work schedule will shift to minimize daytime disruption. Lane-by-lane asphalt overlay will take place on weeknights from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., while more intensive reblocking will be reserved for weekends.
The DPWH is utilizing Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA), a durable Japanese technology typically used for airport runways. Officials say this material offers better water resistance and a longer maintenance life than standard asphalt.
Unlike earlier proposals that suggested full road closures or an “odd-even” traffic scheme, Secretary Dizon assured the public that EDSA will remain open. “We will only reblock what needs to be reblocked. There will be no total lane closures,” he stated.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes confirmed that the existing unified vehicular volume reduction program (number coding) remains in effect. To assist commuters, the DOTr has committed to maintaining a sufficient supply of Carousel buses, and additional Dalian train sets have been deployed to the MRT-3 to handle potential shifts in passenger volume.
Motorists are advised to expect intermittent lane closures in Pasay and Makati through the end of the year and are encouraged to use Mabuhay Lanes or alternative routes where possible. The entire rehabilitation project is expected to be completed by August 2026.
