Plans to rehabilitate Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), the longest and most congested highway in the metropolis, have been repeatedly revised in 2025, as start dates were announced, halted, and rescheduled by the government.
The shifting plans unfolded over several months through press briefings, presidential directives, and revised agency timelines, before the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) most recently confirmed that the project will proceed starting December 24.
On May 20, then-Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the EDSA rehabilitation would begin in mid-June, citing preparations by the DPWH and the need to rehabilitate a road that had not undergone major repairs in 45 years. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Romando Artes separately said the target start date was June 13.
Alongside the announcement, government agencies presented traffic mitigation measures, including a proposal to make portions of Skyway Stage 3 temporarily toll-free and the revival of the odd-even traffic scheme along EDSA. Officials warned motorists to expect heavier congestion once construction began.
On June 1, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of the rehabilitation, citing concerns raised by commuters over longer travel times and the two-year construction timetable. Speaking during an event at the MRT-3, the President said the expected disruption would place a heavy burden on workers and daily commuters.
Following the suspension, the MMDA announced that it would no longer proceed with the planned odd-even scheme, which had been presented days earlier as a key congestion-mitigation measure. MMDA Chair Don Artes said the pause would allow agencies to revisit traffic management plans and consider less disruptive options.
The President reiterated on June 8 that the EDSA rehabilitation would remain suspended until solid rerouting plans and readiness measures were in place. He also directed agencies to review the project’s duration, saying the two-year timetable was too long.
By July, DPWH officials said the rehabilitation had been moved to 2026, citing the rainy season and the approaching Christmas rush. DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the agency was studying alternative construction methods that could reduce both cost and duration.
The policy direction shifted again in December. On December 17, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon announced that the EDSA rehabilitation would push through starting December 24, with work to be carried out during the holiday break and completed in eight months, shorter than the earlier two-year plan.
Under the revised schedule, reblocking and asphalt overlay works will be conducted around the clock from December 24 to January 5, followed by night-time construction from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., with lanes reopened each morning for daytime traffic.
Dizon, who made the original mid-June announcement while serving as Transportation Secretary, now oversees the project as DPWH Secretary. As of the latest briefing, the EDSA rehabilitation is again moving forward after a sequence of decisions that moved from announcement, to suspension, to rescheduling, and back to implementation.
