DPWH targets completion within 6 months, or before end of Marcos’s term
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it plans to begin rehabilitation work on the main metropolitan thoroughfare — EDSA — in 2026 or early 2027 and finish the job within six months.
Rehabilitation work will employ advanced construction technology that will minimize traffic disruptions, the DPWH said.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the proposal has been submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which recommends the use of faster, less intrusive methods to fix the 23.8-kilometer highway, in line with the president’s directive to avoid extended lane closures.
“We’ve recommended a system that won’t require closing EDSA to traffic,” Bonoan told reporters during the post-SONA forum on Wednesday. “The president doesn’t want long-term closures, so we’re looking at faster, more efficient technology.”
Bonoan said construction could begin next year or in 2027, depending on the president’s go signal and adjustments related to the country’s hosting of an Asean Summit in 2026.
Despite the delay, he assured the public that the road works will be finished before the end of the Marcos administration.
The EDSA Rebuild Project is a joint effort of the DPWH, Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), with final meetings for planning held in May.
The project follows Marcos’ directive to improve commuter experience and road safety along one of the capital’s busiest corridors.
The government is also conducting a long-term cost-benefit analysis for the project while weighing short-term traffic implications.
