EDSA is still up for a whopping Php 3.74-billion rehabilitation project that has been greatly delayed due to the traffic problems and port-clearing issues that had to be addressed.

As we earlier reported, this project should have began May 2013 but now has been pushed back and it seems will be rushed and finished before the end of President Aquino’s term in 2016, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“We are confident we still can improve the road quality of Edsa, looking at new technologies on pavement improvement,” said DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson.

The latest plan is to use the same material found in the highways of Singapore, high-grade polymer modified bitumen or PMB asphalt.

The DPWH is already laying plans to test PMB, which is said to be a lot more firm and resilient to cracks and road deformations making it very suitable for use on EDSA.

Because EDSA is one of the roads in the Philippines that see the most amount of traffic on a daily basis, the DPWH believes that asphalt overlay, which only needs 46 hours of curing compared to three days when concrete is used, is the best solution to upgrade its condition.

Aside from the EDSA rehabilitation, the EDSA-Taft Avenue flyover has also been delayed.

There is no specific start date for the EDSA rehab project but the DPWH wants to finish is before the 27th edition of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. 

Additional projects in the pipeline include Phase 1 of the P.17-billion Liwasang Bonifacio-Sta. Monica bridge and the P700-million Gov. Forces-España Street underpass, both in Manila; P1.5-billion widening of the C-5 Bagong Ilog flyover in Pasig City; P793-million Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue-Makati Avenue-Paseo de Roxas vehicle underpass in Makati City; and the P481-million widening of Gen. Luis Street in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Further consultation with Malacañang, the MMDA and other agencies involved will be done to minimize the effect these projects will have on the existing traffic conditions.