EDSA road repair causes traffic congestion; DPWH eyes more permanent solution

Repairs on EDSA that began Friday night has led to traffic build-up on Saturday. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) meanwhile said it is planning a long-term solution.

On Saturday morning, the traffic build-up on the northbound lane stretched from North Avenue to just before the Quezon Avenue flyover in Quezon City.

Aside from the repair of the EDSA Bus Carousel and portions of the main thoroughfare, workmen constructing the MRT7 common station were putting a girder using a crane truck, rendering only one lane passable, according to a report of Luisito Santos on Super Radyo dzBB.

“Nagsisimula nang mag-build up pati du’n sa mga area na ginagawa along EDSA Bus Carousel… Nandiyan naman ating mga tauhan para i-manage ang traffic,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Romando Artes said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday.

(The traffic has started to build up even in areas where there are repairs on the EDSA Bus Carousel. We have personnel to manage the traffic.)

The DPWH advised motorists on Thursday to take alternate routes as portions of the EDSA Bus Carousel will be closed to traffic for emergency repairs.

In an advisory, the DPWH said northbound and southbound sections of the EDSA Bus Carousel from Balintawak to Buendia Avenue will undergo repairs starting Friday, August 4 at 10 p.m. due to the observed damage caused by the incessant rains brought by the enhanced Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and the recent tropical cyclones.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) meanwhile on Wednesday said road repairs that will be implemented in 15 different locations are scheduled to start by 10:00 p.m. on Friday, August 4, and end by 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 9.

The roads that will be affected will be along these areas:

Both directions of the EDSA Busway in Caloocan Road along SM North Edsa to MRT Quezon Avenue station In front of Corinthian Gardens past Camp Aguinaldo In front of the BBM headquarters and near Ricoa in Mandaluyong City Four other areas are in Makati City, from the Guadalupe Bridge to Rockwell Kalayaan Footbridge

The MMDA advised motorists traveling from north to south in Metro Manila to use the Skyway and Mabuhay lanes as alternative routes while the repairs are ongoing to fix the damage caused by incessant rains.

Repair work would also be done on other roads such as Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Avenue, and C5 Road, DPWH Secretary Manny Bonoan said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday.

“[Kasama sa kukumpunihin] ang thoroughfares kasi may mga pothole na dapat kumpunihin hindi lang sa EDSA. May mga pothole because of ulan natin tumagal ng mahigit sampung araw yata. Na-soften yung pavement natin, mabibigat pa rin yung mga truck na dumadaloy diyan,” he said.

(Thoroughfares would be fixed because there are potholes there too, not just on EDSA. The potholes were caused by over 10 days of rains. The pavement softened, and heavy trucks were among those that used the roads [causing more damage].)

Bonoan said asphalt would be used to cover the potholes .

“Asphalt ang ginagawa namin. Karamihan ng mga pothole natin ay asphalt pavement overlay kasi ‘yun ang natutuklap,” he said.

(We use asphalt. Most of the potholes would be fixed via asphalt pavement overlay.)

However, concrete would be used on some portions of the EDSA Bus Carousel, he added.

“May gagawin na kaming reblocking ng konti dito sa may bus carousel. ‘Yun ang medyo magtatagal ng kaunti…. Dito sa may bandang Mu?oz section sa Bus Carousel,” Bonoan said.

(We will do reblocking on some portions of the [EDSA] Bus Carousel. That would take a bit longer. Particularly near Mu?oz [Market] section of the Bus Carousel.

“Concrete kasi ang gagawin natin and medyo mahaba-haba ang gagawin na hindi lang yung reblocking. Ang estimate namin ay 5 days [ang pagkukumpuni sa ilang bahagi ng EDSA Bus Carousel]… For this section lang naman pwedeng lumihis ang mga buses at babalik,” he added.

(We’ll use concrete [for this portion] and it would be longer as it won’t just be reblocking. Our estimate is five days [for repair work]. For this section, buses may use the regular lanes then just return to the EDSA Bus Carousel lane later on.

“Pagkatapos ng mga ito, mas bibilis ang biyahe sa EDSA bus carousel dahil mawawala na ang mga lubak,” Artes said.

(After this, there would be faster trips on the EDSA Bus Carousel because there would no longer be any potholes.)

More permanent solution

The DPWH however is planning to upgrade the pavement of EDSA for a more permanent solution, the secretary said.

“Ang balak namin dito sa EDSA, kailangang magsagawa ng more permanent repairs, upgrading sa pavement ng EDSA para hindi laging nagre-reblocking,” he said.

(We are planning to have more permanent repairs, upgrading of the pavement of EDSA so we don’t have to keep doing reblocking.)

“Ang pavement ng EDSA ay more than 50 years old na… That is the reason why may plano nang magsagawa ng permanent upgrading sa pavement ng EDSA… hindi ‘yung nagre-reblock ng nagre-reblock tayo every weekend… Perpetual ‘yan kung ‘di natin gagawan ng permanent solution,” he added.

(The EDSA pavement is more than 50 years old. That is the reason why we are planning to undertake permanent upgrading, not reblocking and reblocking every weekend. If we don’t have a permanent solution, reblocking sections of EDSA would be perpetual.)

“By next year planong umpisahan ang pagsasagawa ng malaki-laking upgrading sa EDSA pavement,” Bonoan said.

(By next year we are planning to start the upgrading of the EDSA pavement.) –KG, GMA Integrated News