MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the suspension of the planned rehabilitation of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), a project that would have included an “odd-even” traffic scheme. The President announced the decision on Sunday, June 1, stating the aim is to allow government agencies to find a “better way” to repair the decades-old highway using new technologies.

The ambitious rehabilitation, initially set to begin around June 13 and slated for three years, had raised significant concerns about severe traffic congestion, dubbed “carmageddon,” and had prompted calls for a return to remote work arrangements. Consequently, the dry run for the odd-even scheme, which was scheduled to start on June 16, is also suspended.

President Marcos Jr. explained that new technologies not considered in the initial planning could significantly shorten the repair timeline. “We have seen new technologies that we did not use in the planning of the EDSA rehabilitation, so I instructed [Transportation Secretary] Vince Dizon and [Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary] Manny Bonoan, and I told them to pause the rehabilitation for now,” the President said.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Don Artes confirmed the suspension in a statement later Sunday, noting the postponement “will give us time to look for other traffic mitigating options for the EDSA Rebuild which will be less burdensome to motorists and commuting public.”

While the President did not provide a specific resumption date for the rehabilitation of Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare, he indicated that the government needs about a month to study alternative options. He acknowledged the necessity of EDSA’s repair but stressed that the current plan’s cost in terms of public sacrifice and traffic disruption “outweighs the benefit.”

“There’s too much sacrifice, it’s too heavy, the traffic is too tight, so that will be paused for now,” he said. Marcos Jr. expressed confidence that a new plan could shorten the repair time from the original three years to just six months to a year, aiming for a solution that is “not too difficult” for commuters and motorists.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) affirmed its commitment to coordinate with partner agencies to “concretize” plans for a faster and smoother EDSA rebuilding using modern technologies.