Yes there will be an Odd-Even Coding for EDSA Rebuild along with 4 other important interventions

If you haven’t heard yet, the EDSA Rebuild will commence this year. That said, the main artery of Metro Manila traffic flow will significantly get narrower and busier, and so, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) along with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have conducted a briefer on the project today, 26 May 2025. At the end of their presentation, a detail that no one could so easily miss. Odd-Even Coding along EDSA for the duration of the project.

5 interventions lined up to help ease traffic flow during EDSA Rebuild

The EDSA rebuild – more properly its rehabilitation – comes after the President’s mandate “Ayusin ang EDSA. Pabilisin ang biyahe. Pasimplehin ang buhay ng tao.” As expected, this falls on the shoulders of three key government departments, which include the DOTr, the DPWH, and the MMDA.

As far back as two years ago, the DOTr had also expressed its ideas for plans that include active transport along EDSA. That is but one facet to improve Metro Manila’s main roadway, of course. Much of the actual groundwork will be conducted by the DPWH, and aside from abiding by the principle of making the EDSA rebuild the catalyst for a green and walkable avenue, it will see improvements to both the commuter and motorist experience.

That said, yes, we now get to our headline: there will be an odd-even Coding scheme that will begin as a dry run on June 16, 2025, and may very well last for the duration of the EDSA rebuild thereafter. This was part of the trio’s press conference and, as we can see above, was presented by MMDA Chairman Romando “Don” Artes. The plan is that vehicles with plate numbers ending with odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) will be banned from using EDSA (and only EDSA) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and those ending in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 0) will likewise be unable to use EDSA on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Sundays are free for all vehicles to use. Also, there will be a dry run before this scheme is fully implemented, and it will still be enforced alongside the normal rules of the MMDA Coding Scheme or the UVVRP. Artes also said that eventually, window hours might be explored but upon its implementation, it will be a full-day ban.

Take note that this is but one of the 5 interventions that the government has thought of to help traffic flow during the EDSA rebuild. The other four interventions include 1) toll-free passage for segments of Skyway Stage 3 that traverse only the length of EDSA, 2) the addition of 100 buses along the EDSA Busway, 3) the addition of more trains along the MRT-3 line, and 4) the continued road-clearing operations along alternate routes or interior roadways.

We all know that the EDSA Rebuild has been a long time coming. It does translate to a lot of hassle and struggles, but as the saying goes, “you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs”, and we all also know that EDSA is really broken. Let’s all have a bit more patience, then.

Yes, we feel you, there’s going to be a whole lot of pitchforks while the rebuild is being done, but it should get better once it’s all done.