What you need to know about the EDSA rehab starting on Dec. 24
The delayed EDSA rehabilitation project is scheduled to begin on Dec. 24, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon announced.
"From Dec. 24, 2025, 11 p.m. to Jan. 5, 2026, 4 a.m., 24/7 tayo magtatrabaho sa EDSA during the Christmas holiday and New Year holiday," he said in a press briefing on Dec. 17.
Dizon added that the DPWH plans to complete the rehab in eight months, reducing the previous two-year timeframe.
It will be rolled out in two phases, with the first four months covering Roxas Boulevard to Orense, and the next four for the rest of EDSA.
Dizon also stated that the budget has been reduced from P17 billion to P6 billion.
"Pwede pang bumaba 'yun. P6 billion, maximum na 'yan. Pero tingin namin, pwede pa maka-generate ng savings," he said. "Buong EDSA na 'yan."
Furthermore, Dizon said that the DPWH will only reblock selected sections of EDSA instead of the whole thoroughfare. "Ang i-rereblock lang natin 'yung kailangan talaga i-reblock, 'yung talagang may sira na."
After the rehabilitation of the roads, Dizon said that sidewalks along EDSA will also be fixed.
Construction schedule
Dizon said that the EDSA rehab project aims to cause "minimal disruption" to daily traffic.
Phase 1 is set to start on Dec. 24, 11 p.m., with 24-hour works happening until Jan. 5, 4 a.m. During this, the DPWH seeks to finish reblocking works and asphalt overlay for both northbound and southbound lanes of the EDSA busway.
The busway will also move to the second innermost lane while works are ongoing during the holidays.
The DPWH will release an advisory on which roads are affected by Dec. 22.
From Jan. 5 to May 31, 2026, road works (lane by lane) will only be from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
"Pagdating ng 5 a.m., 'yung tinarabaho na inaasphalto nila, bubuksan na at gagamitin ng mga kababayan natin," Dizon said.
No more mitigation proposals
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Don Artes said that during the rehabilitation, there will be no odd-even number coding scheme as previously proposed.
"Walang pagbabago sa number coding scheme dahil nga ang pagsasara ng kalsada will happen from Dec. 24 to Jan. 5, which is sa experience namin, sa datos namin, kakaonti lang ang sasakyan," he said.
Other traffic mitigation proposals, like free skyway tolls, will no longer be implemented during the road works.
"'Di na kailangan 'yung mga mitigation na 'yun dahil limited working hours lang naman to at pagdating ng madaling araw, passable na buo ang EDSA," Dizon said.
In June, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. postponed EDSA rehab projects to explore options that would ease the impact on commuters.
The EDSA rehabilitation project aims to upgrade and reinforce the pavement of the highway, improve drainage systems in key sections, and lessen the ongoing issue with repeated road reblocking.