The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Monday that the rehabilitation project of the 23.8-kilometer EDSA will begin on June 13, with various measures to be implemented in an attempt to ease the anticipated traffic brought by the two and a half year project.

The first segment of the rehabilitation will begin from the bus lane of Northbound to Roxas Boulevard to Starmall Shaw Boulevard, bus lane of Northbound Quezon City/Caloocan Boundary (Before EDSA Cloverleaf) to Monumento, and the bus lane of Southbound SM North to Roxas Boulevard from June 12 to September 11, 2025.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said in a television interview on Monday that the Skyway Stage 3 was seen as one of the alternative thoroughfares to help lessen traffic during the EDSA rebuild.

"I think we are going to be able, with the help of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), to find a way to make tolls free while we are rebuilding EDSA," Dizon said.

Dizon said that the DOTr will be working with the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to find ways for SMC to have some reprieve for its expenses during the rebuild period.

The dedicated lane for the EDSA Busway will remain during the rebuild despite the project beginning in the innermost lane occupied by the busway, with the busway moving to the outer lane.

"That I think sends a very strong statement from the President to the commuting public that the commuters are the most important users of EDSA," Dizon said.

Dizon said 100 additional bus units will also be deployed along the EDSA busway to encourage the public to commute.

Additional 4-car train sets on MRT 3 will also be deployed, along with removing all X-ray scanners in all stations to decongest lines and increase capacity.

A 24-hour odd-even scheme will also be implemented on EDSA during the rehabilitation.

"Vehicles with plate numbers that end in one, three, five, seven, and nine are not allowed on EDSA on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Those that end in zero, two, four, six, and eight are not allowed on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday," Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes said during a press conference also on Monday.

The MMDA also said that provincial buses, trucks, and other big vehicles will be temporarily banned from entering EDSA from 5 am to 10 pm, bike lane separators will be removed, and an exclusive motorcycle lane will be opened for riders. Yzabela Velez-White/DMS