(UPDATE) THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) began the first phase of the long-delayed rehabilitation of the historic Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, popularly known as EDSA, on Christmas Eve. “This follows the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to repair the highway to make it safe for motorists, commuters, and pedestrians, especially vulnerable sectors such as persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women,” Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Wednesday. According to Dizon, concrete reblocking works started at 11 p.m. on the southbound and northbound stretches of EDSA, and the work will continue until Dec. 27, to be followed by asphalt overlay works thereafter. The work plan, Dizon explained, was meant to take advantage of the long Christmas break when people are on vacation, and fewer cars are expected on EDSA. “With less disruption, more work can be done and at least cost to the government,” said Dizon. Based on the DPWH work plan, southbound concrete reblocking will be done from Dec. 24 to 27 on P. Celle St., Pasay City, to Roxas Boulevard (inner lane only), and Tramo Flyover to P. Celle St. (inner lane only) from Dec. 26 to 27. For the northbound side, roadwork will be from Roxas Boulevard to Park Avenue (inner lane only) from Dec. 24 to 27, and Park Avenue to Taft Avenue (inner lane) on Dec. 27. Soulbound asphalt overlay will be done at the ESA Orense to Urdaneta Village (Dec. 25), EDSA Orense to Magallanes Interchange (Dec. 26) and Tramo to Loring St. (Dec. 27). Dizon advised motorists to use alternate routes during the said period, adding that the DPWH will provide an updated repair work schedule from Dec. 28, 2025 to Jan. 5, 2026. Under the revised work plan, Dizon said, the rehabilitation of EDSA will be implemented in two phases of four month each, starting at the Roxas Boulevard to EDSA-Orense, while the second phase will cover the rest of EDSA. The 23.8-kilometer EDSA stretch is the longest and most congested highway in Metro Manila. It passes through six of Metro Manila’s 17 local government units or cities, namely, Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay. With faster implementation, Dizon pointed out, the cost of rehabilitating EDSA would be down to P6 billion from the original estimates of P17 billion or a substantial savings of P11 billion, which the government can use to fund other projects. Among the action plans on EDSA will be the expansion of pedestrian lanes, implementing shared bike lanes and repair stops, pedestrian waiting sheds, and removal of obstructions along the commuter route.