Marcos Jr. suspends EDSA rehabilitation to find 'better way'

MANILA (4th Update) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the suspension of the planned rehabilitation of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, a rebuild that would have seen the implementation of an "odd-even" scheme restricting use of the main thoroughfare.

He said the suspension of the ambitious plan is to allow government agencies to "find a better way" to repair the decades-old highway.

“Mayroon tayong mga nakita na bagong teknolohiya na hindi natin ginamit sa pagplano ng EDSA rehabilitation kaya ininstructionan ko si [Transportation Secretary] Vince Dizon at si Manny Bonoan ng [Department of Public Works and Highways] at sinabi ko pause muna doon sa rehabilitation,” the President said.

(We saw new technology that had not been used in planning the EDSA rehabilitation, so I instructed Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Secretary Manny Bonoan of the DPWH to tell them to pause the rehabilitation)

The planned rehabilitation would have started in the segment of EDSA from Pasay City to Shaw Boulevard and had raised fears of a "carmaggedon" or severe road congestion.

It had also prompted calls for a return to remote work and hybrid work arrangements used during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

ODD-EVEN SCHEME DRY RUN ALSO POSTPONED

Business, supply chain groups worried about impact of EDSA road works

Suspension of road works on EDSA means the dry run for the odd-even scheme, which would restrict use of the highway depending on the last digit of a license plate number, scheduled to start on June 16 is also suspended.

"The postponement will give us time to look for other traffic mitigating options for the EDSA Rebuild which will be less burdensome to motorists and commuting public," Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Don Artes said in a release later Sunday.

Marcos Jr. did not give a specific date on when the rehabilitation of Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare is expected to resume.

He said he agrees that EDSA needs to be repaired but that the cost currently outweighs the benefit.

“Ang daming sakripisyo, masyadong mabigat, masyadong mahigpit ang traffic kaya pause na muna yan,” he said.

(There is a lot of sacrifice. Traffic will be too heavy, too tight, so let's pause that for now)

DONE IN 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR?

He said government will try to come up with a plan to shorten the repair time to between six months and a year, from an original projection of two to three years.

“In other words, ang sinasabi ko, we will find a better way na hindi masyadong mahirap,” he said.

(In other words, we will find a better way that will not cause too much inconvenience)

Dizon said the President decided to postpone the project after listening “to the concerns of the residents of Metro Manila” and to “experts who have informed him” of modern technology available that can fast-track the rebuild.

“Nagbigay siya ng isang buwan para mag-present ang DPWH katulong ng ibang agencies tulad ng DOTr at MMDA na kailangan paigsihin natin ‘to.”

(He gave the DPWH and other agencies like the DOTr and MMDA a month to present options to speed it up)

The transport chief said agencies will work on a plan that will shorten the construction to six months if possible

“So ‘yun ang gagawin po natin dahil ‘yun ang utos ng ating Pangulo at ‘yun din ang gusto ng ating mga kababayan.”

(So that is what we’ll do because it’s what the President ordered and it is what the people want)

DOTr, road safety advocates seek safer, more walkable EDSA post-rehab