MANILA, Philippines — Rehabilitation work in EDSA will go full blast during the Holy Week when fewer commuters and lesser vehicles will be using the busiest road network in Metro Manila.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has approved his request for 24/7 work in EDSA.
At the same time, Dizon also said that he has ordered the clearing of all obstructions and repair of badly damaged parts of the Maharlika Highway to ease the burden of commuters who would be going home to their province for the observance of the Holy Week.
"For the Holy Week, all segments with problems, particularly those in Camarines Sur, part of Albay and Samar, would be obstruction free. Traffic would be through and through, no more one way for faster travel time for millions of commuters who will be going to their provinces during the Holy Week rush.," added Dizon.
Dizon said all obstructions and clearing works along the identified segments would be completed by end-March, adding that patchworks would be done on badly damaged roads as a temporary measure to smoothen them out for faster travel time.
The DPWH chief pointed out that the measure was just temporary but would make travel time faster, particularly between Catbalogan, Samar and Tacloban City, from the agonizing 5-kilometer per hour to 10 hours.
Dizon said that rehabilitation works for Phase 1 of the EDSA project, which covers Roxas Blvd, to Orense, Guadalupe, was currently at 50 percent construction progress.
The Phase 1 rehabilitation of EDSA, according to Dizon, is now in the advanced stage and might be able to complete it ahead of schedule.
Also part of the ongoing rehabilitation, he added, was the expansion of sidewalks along EDSA to ensure the safety of pedestrians and commuters.
“We are in the advance stage and maybe by May, we can rehabilitate the sidewalks,” Dizon said Dizon said that by July 2026 the Phase 1 of the rehabilitation works that included sidewalks, would be completed and sections without sidewalks expected to be finished in May.
