MMDA informs bus operators on Holy Week EDSA reblocking

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday met with operators of city and provincial buses to inform them of the closure of some parts of EDSA over the Holy Week.

The MMDA earlier allowed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to conduct its repair and reblocking of some 80,775 square meters of the 23.8 kilometer-long EDSA.

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said that with the reblocking secheduled to start on Holy Tuesday (April 15), some lanes of EDSA that will be reblocked will be closed to traffic.

Some of the portions of EDSA to be seriously affected by the reblocking are those that intersect Shaw Boulevard, Bonny Serrano (Santolan), Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), Guadalupe, Ayala Tunnel, Madison St., Taft Avenue and Kalayaan Avenue in Makati.

Tolentio advised the bus operators to reduce their fleet and make use of alternative routes to be identified by the MMDA.

Tolentino also advised provincial bus operators who operate in north Luzon routes to exit Metro Manila using Mindanao Avenue going to the North Luzon Expressway.

"Dalawang klase 'yan, 'yung provincial buses may exit 'yan sa likod so encourage natin sa likod na sila lumabas kung going north ka papuntang Mindanao Avenue," he said.

For buses plying South Luzon routes, Tolentino said these bus operators should use their satellite terminals located in Pasay City as these are closer to the South Luzon Expressway and bypass EDSA.

"Kung going south ka naman encourage natin sila from Holy Tuesday and Good Friday na i-utilize nila yung satellite terminal nila sa Pasay kasi mas malapit na 'yun," Tolentino said.

Tolentino said bus corporations operating in South Luzon which do not have terminals in Pasay City may use the MMDA's Integrated Bus Terminal near the Coastal Mall.

In addition, the MMDA will also open zipper lanes as needed on areas of EDSA to be affected by the reblocking. The MMDA is also urging private motorists to make use of the C5 and C6 roads.

The EDSA Holy Week reblocking ends at 8 a.m. of April 21.

Tolentino and DPWH-National Capital Region Director Reynaldo Tagudando met at the MMDA office in Makati on Tuesday. It was during the meeting that the DPWH agreed to finish all reblocking work on EDSA over the Holy Week.

Tolentino said that instead of conducting reblocking and road works on an 'installment' basis during weekends, the DPWH has to complete all roadworks on EDSA over the Holy Week when traffic on the Metro's major artery is light.

"It will be a one-time re-blocking this Holy Week. This will be short term pain, long term gain," said Tolentino.

Tagudando said the reblocking of EDSA from the Roxas Boulevard section in Pasay City to Monumento in Caloocan City will be done round the clock.

"We will conduct reblocking 24/7 so that we can finish it during the Holy Week," he said.

Tagudando said the repair of EDSA's northbound lane will start from Holy Tuesday until Good Friday while work on the southbound lane will start from Good Friday until Easter Sunday.

According to the DPWH-NCR, at least 80,775 square meters of EDSA still needs to be reblocked.

After the Holy Week, Tolentino said no more road works on EDSA will be allowed.