DOTr to launch EDSA rehab in June, proposes free Skyway toll

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that the major rehabilitation of EDSA will commence in mid-June, a project expected to last for approximately two years.

To alleviate anticipated traffic congestion, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) will ask Skyway operator San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to waive toll fees on certain segments of the expressway during the rehabilitation period.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon explained that toll-free Skyway access would serve as a primary alternative route for motorists to bypass the ongoing EDSA construction.

The proposed free Skyway toll will cover only select parts of the project that could be an alternative to EDSA, potentially from Buendia in Makati to Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and vice versa.

The government may have to shoulder some of the cost of the free toll.

The initial phase of the rehabilitation will focus on the stretch of EDSA between Roxas Boulevard in Manila and Guadalupe, Makati.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will repair EDSA per lane, with the EDSA bus carousel remaining operational throughout the construction.

EDSA buses will use an adjacent lane while the remaining lanes will be for private vehicles.