Massive traffic seen until ‘Ber’ months due to EDSA repairs

Commuters and motorists will have to brace for heavier traffic congestion until the “Ber” months as repairs are scheduled in some parts of EDSA by the end of March.

In Joseph Morong’s Tuesday report on “24 Oras,” portions of EDSA will undergo rehaul or extensive road repair starting with the EDSA Busway northbound lane from Balintawak to Monumento.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the EDSA Busway will be replaced with new and stronger pavement.

For the meantime or until the repair work is completed, the EDSA buses will use the adjacent lane while the remaining lanes are allotted for private vehicles.

“Tatanggalin namin yung mga barriers nila (the barriers will be removed). The buses will have to share with the open lanes for the time being they will just have to be limited to the adjacent lanes,” Bonoan said.

Meanwhile, 15 segments will be repaired in the EDSA southbound lane.

After the EDSA Busway repair, the repair work will be done on the remaining lanes until the outer lane.

The DPWH said it will also widen EDSA’s drainage system.

“These were installed a long time ago so maliliit na yan (they are small). That’s the reason why hindi na kwan sa run off (it's not that efficient),” Bonoan said.

According to the DPWH, the EDSA rehaul will take about one year until the ‘Ber’ months when traffic is usually heavier.

Some commuters said it is more convenient if the EDSA Busway has its own lane for faster travel.

"Ber" months refer to September, October, November, and December. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News