EDSA patch-up underway

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has assured the public that potholes on EDSA, from Pasay City to Monumento, would be patched up to speed up the flow of traffic.

MMDA Executive Director for Traffic Angelito Vergel de Dios said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now rehabilitating EDSA, beginning at the Pasay City portion.

Repair work is being done quickly in response to the increase in potholes following the week-long heavy rains brought about by tropical storm Chedeng.

De Dios admitted that traffic along EDSA has been drastically affected by the potholes, some of which are so deep that vehicles have no choice but to swerve and avoid them.

The potholes effectively take out a lane of the road from the motorists, thus slowing down traffic.

For larger potholes, De Dios said, the DPWH is paving them with asphalt as a temporary measure so that vehicles can utilize all lanes of the road.

De Dios explained the DPWH is actually conducting a concrete re-blocking of the damaged portions of EDSA as a more permanent measure to repair the road.

However, concrete re-blocking takes a longer time to complete compared to asphalting, which is why the latter is being done as an immediate but temporary solution.

"Eventually all of the damaged portions will be subjected to concrete re-blocking," De Dios said.

The original plan of MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando while he was still holding the position of DPWH secretary was to pave the entire stretch of EDSA with eight inches of asphalt.

However, the plan was scrapped since the asphalted road would turn out to be higher than the sidewalks, apart from being too costly.

Fernando noted that a large part of EDSA is still in good condition and so the option of concrete re-blocking would be more cost efficient and even sturdier than asphalting.

De Dios said concrete re-blocking will be continued when the weather improves as the entire process for each repaired portion takes two days to complete. – Marvin Sy