Makati city: The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) expects to complete the rehabilitation of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) next year. 'It will be next year.we will be going lane by lane to minimize disruption to our countrymen,' DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said in an interview during the inspection of the Phase 2 of the EDSA rehabilitation project from Guadalupe-Orense in Makati City to Monumento in Caloocan City early Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DPWH chief assured that they are doing their best to complete the project. 'This is all the way from Orense to Monumento, we want to ensure that the work is done quickly and at the same time, we will minimize the inconvenience to our countrymen, PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos) has instructed us to do it quickly but at the same time the inconvenience should be minimal because especially today, Monday, we want to fulfill our promise to the motorists that when the clock strikes at 5:00 (am), they will be able to pass, that is the assurance of the team,' Dizon said.

'We have teams working on the Monumento side, where the project ends and we also have teams working now. They will meet in the middle so that we can work faster,' the DPWH chief added.

Aside from rehabilitation, the DPWH is also widening sidewalks along the entire EDSA corridor from the south to Monumento to improve pedestrian access and provide a safer space for cyclists. He added that sidewalks are also being widened from the previous 1.2 to 1.5 meters, to 3.2 meters, allowing cyclists to use them.

Meanwhile, Dizon noted that heavy traffic near Guadalupe Bridge being experienced by motorists in the area was due to the ongoing seismic retrofitting of the structure to improve its structural integrity. These works are being undertaken alongside the EDSA rehabilitation project, he added.