Source : The Business Times, July 9, 2009
CONSTRUCTION of the new bridge to Sentosa is complete - and the first traffic crossed it yesterday.
Until July 22, all traffic to and from the island will be diverted to the new bridge, which runs parallel to the existing bridge. The existing bridge will be closed for works.
The $80 million new bridge was commissioned by Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) to handle the 13 million visitors it expects when it opens in early 2010.
Australian-based engineering and construction company McConnell Dowell started the bridge project in March 2008.
The new bridge will carry traffic from the mainland to Sentosa. The existing bridge will carry traffic the other way.
When enhancement of the Sentosa Gateway is completed, there will be a three-lane carriageway for traffic in each direction.
Mike Barclay, CEO of Sentosa Leisure Group, said: 'Sentosa Gateway is poised to take on the increase in traffic when RWS opens and as more residents move into Sentosa Cove.'
RWS's executive vice-president of projects, Michael Chin, said: 'We built the new bridge as we are committed to providing our visitors a world-class destination. Their memorable experience must include hassle-free access to and from our resort and Sentosa.'
In 2008, the Land Transport Authority announced a package of road improvement measures aimed at enhancing travel for visitors to the Sentosa-HarbourFront area, including the construction of a new Gateway Tunnel to meet a long-term increase in traffic volume.
The tunnel is slated for completion in 2015.
Sentosa Leisure Group will boost transport on the island by increasing the Sentosa Express fleet.
Mount Faber Leisure Group will upgrade and expand its cable car system and rebrand the cable cars as a premium gateway to Sentosa.
Showing posts with label ERP / Roads / Traffics Related. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ERP / Roads / Traffics Related. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Second Link To Sentosa Opens
Source : The Straits Times, July 8, 2009
VISITORS to Sentosa had to take a different route to get to the island on Wednesday.
The existing bridge has been closed. It will be converted into a one-way, four-lane carriageway. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
Vehicles crossed to the island via a new $80 million second causeway, built by the Resorts World at Sentosa integrated resort (IR). The link was opened early Wednesday morning.
The existing bridge has been closed. It will be converted into a one-way, four-lane carriageway.
When it reopens next month or in September, all four lanes will used for traffic heading out of Sentosa.
The new bridge, which will afford direct access to the IR, will then serve all traffic heading for the island.
VISITORS to Sentosa had to take a different route to get to the island on Wednesday.
The existing bridge has been closed. It will be converted into a one-way, four-lane carriageway. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSINVehicles crossed to the island via a new $80 million second causeway, built by the Resorts World at Sentosa integrated resort (IR). The link was opened early Wednesday morning.
The existing bridge has been closed. It will be converted into a one-way, four-lane carriageway.
When it reopens next month or in September, all four lanes will used for traffic heading out of Sentosa.
The new bridge, which will afford direct access to the IR, will then serve all traffic heading for the island.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Work Begins On S'pore's 10th Expressway
Source : The Business Times, April 29, 2009
Completion due 2013; it is first road tunnel under the sea
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) broke ground yesterday on the construction of Singapore's first road tunnel under the sea, the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE).
The new expressway, slated for completion in 2013, will connect the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and the East Coast Parkway (ECP) to the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE).
'The MCE underscores the government's commitment to continue investing in Singapore's road network,' Transport Minister Raymond Lim said at the ground-breaking ceremony.
'The MCE will be our 10th expressway, after the KPE which opened last year. We will continue to invest in road infrastructure for the future, within the constraints of our limited land space. By 2020, we will complete the North South Expressway (NSE), which will provide an additional route from the north to the city.'
The 5 km MCE is the most ambitious project undertaken by the LTA and involves the widest road tunnel in Singapore, with five lanes going in each direction.
A 420 m section of the expressway will be beneath the sea bed. At its deepest point, it will be about 20 m below mean sea level. Some 13.1 ha of land will be reclaimed for the project - 9.1 ha at Marina Wharf and 4 ha at Marina East.
Singapore's 10th expressway is also notable for another superlative - it will be the country's most expensive expressway, with the value of contracts awarded so far coming up to $4.1 billion.
Exceeding a budgeted figure of $2.5 billion, based on lower construction and engineering costs in 2006, the contracts awarded so far comprise six major civil contracts and four major system-wide contracts. One minor civil contract and three other system-wide contracts are still to be awarded.
In comparison, Singapore's second most expensive expressway, the KPE, cost $1.8 billion to build.
According to LTA, some of cost of the MCE may be recovered if the prices of materials fall, due to a price fluctuation clause in contracts.
Apart from higher tender prices, construction of the MCE in difficult ground and soil conditions, as well as additional safety requirements for the sub-sea tunnel, added to the overall cost.
Construction will take place in soft clay that runs as deep as 60 m in some places.
'Soft clay is not very good for construction,' said Chuah Han Leong, LTA's director of the MCE project. 'It is like working with toothpaste. So we have to conduct extensive ground improvement to enhance the safety of the excavation.'
Planning for the MCE was done with an eye on property values. To increase the development potential of prime land in Marina Bay, the section of the ECP that runs through Marina South will be realigned and downgraded to an arterial road.
'The MCE will add to the long-term growth of Singapore and increase accessibility to the Marina Bay downtown area,' said LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee.
Completion due 2013; it is first road tunnel under the sea
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) broke ground yesterday on the construction of Singapore's first road tunnel under the sea, the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE).
The new expressway, slated for completion in 2013, will connect the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and the East Coast Parkway (ECP) to the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE).
'The MCE underscores the government's commitment to continue investing in Singapore's road network,' Transport Minister Raymond Lim said at the ground-breaking ceremony.
'The MCE will be our 10th expressway, after the KPE which opened last year. We will continue to invest in road infrastructure for the future, within the constraints of our limited land space. By 2020, we will complete the North South Expressway (NSE), which will provide an additional route from the north to the city.'
The 5 km MCE is the most ambitious project undertaken by the LTA and involves the widest road tunnel in Singapore, with five lanes going in each direction.
A 420 m section of the expressway will be beneath the sea bed. At its deepest point, it will be about 20 m below mean sea level. Some 13.1 ha of land will be reclaimed for the project - 9.1 ha at Marina Wharf and 4 ha at Marina East.
Singapore's 10th expressway is also notable for another superlative - it will be the country's most expensive expressway, with the value of contracts awarded so far coming up to $4.1 billion.
Exceeding a budgeted figure of $2.5 billion, based on lower construction and engineering costs in 2006, the contracts awarded so far comprise six major civil contracts and four major system-wide contracts. One minor civil contract and three other system-wide contracts are still to be awarded.
In comparison, Singapore's second most expensive expressway, the KPE, cost $1.8 billion to build.
According to LTA, some of cost of the MCE may be recovered if the prices of materials fall, due to a price fluctuation clause in contracts.
Apart from higher tender prices, construction of the MCE in difficult ground and soil conditions, as well as additional safety requirements for the sub-sea tunnel, added to the overall cost.
Construction will take place in soft clay that runs as deep as 60 m in some places.
'Soft clay is not very good for construction,' said Chuah Han Leong, LTA's director of the MCE project. 'It is like working with toothpaste. So we have to conduct extensive ground improvement to enhance the safety of the excavation.'
Planning for the MCE was done with an eye on property values. To increase the development potential of prime land in Marina Bay, the section of the ECP that runs through Marina South will be realigned and downgraded to an arterial road.
'The MCE will add to the long-term growth of Singapore and increase accessibility to the Marina Bay downtown area,' said LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
2 New Flyovers For CTE
Source : The Straits Times, Oct 9, 2008
Elevated roads will separate traffic going in and out of highway.
TWO new pairs of flyovers will be built along the most congested stretches of the Central Expressway (CTE).
When all is done by 2011, 7.5km of the CTE from Bukit Timah to Yio Chu Kang will have four lanes each direction - up from three today. -- PHOTO: COURTESY LTA
The Land Transport Authority said on Thursday one flyover will allow northbound motorists from the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) to continue their journey on the CTE without competing with those taking the Braddell exit.
The proximity of the PIE entry and Braddell exit has long been a thorn in the side of CTE users.
Another flyover will offer motorists north of Braddell an uninterrupted link to the exit leading to Changi and Serangoon. With that, the bottleneck faced by motorists entering the CTE from Braddell should be eased.
The flyovers are part of the mammoth CTE-widening project, which will take up to end-2011 to complete. Widening between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and 3, started in June and is due for completion some time next year.
It costs about $17 million. Tenders will be called soon for another four stages of widening, which include the pair of flyovers.
When all is done by 2011, 7.5km of the CTE from Bukit Timah to Yio Chu Kang will have four lanes in each direction.
LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee on Thursday said the expansion is expected to cut travelling time by 15 per cent on either direction.
Mr Yam said it is not in the interest of the public to estimate how much the remaining widening works will cost as it might influence bids for the tenders.
However, going by the cost of the widening project between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and 3 (a 1.5km stretch), the sum could be more than $70 million.
Works are expected to start next February, and will involve minor acquisitions of state land.
Punggol resident Sam Chong, 46, said the two flyovers are 'very good steps'.
'The problem has always been the exits to Braddell and the PIE,' the chief executive of a private telecomms-linked company said. 'Cars filtering causes the slowdown.'
The project will have one downside for some Potong Pasir residents, though. It will bring the highway closer to flats just before the St Andrew's Village.
At the closest point, the road will be only 12m away, from 15m to 16m now.
Mr Yam said LTA will plant thick foliage along the stretch to cut down on noise and dust. He claimed that planting is a better option to erecting sound barriers, which are common in countries like Japan, Australia and Europe.
Elevated roads will separate traffic going in and out of highway.
TWO new pairs of flyovers will be built along the most congested stretches of the Central Expressway (CTE).
When all is done by 2011, 7.5km of the CTE from Bukit Timah to Yio Chu Kang will have four lanes each direction - up from three today. -- PHOTO: COURTESY LTAThe Land Transport Authority said on Thursday one flyover will allow northbound motorists from the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) to continue their journey on the CTE without competing with those taking the Braddell exit.
The proximity of the PIE entry and Braddell exit has long been a thorn in the side of CTE users.
Another flyover will offer motorists north of Braddell an uninterrupted link to the exit leading to Changi and Serangoon. With that, the bottleneck faced by motorists entering the CTE from Braddell should be eased.
The flyovers are part of the mammoth CTE-widening project, which will take up to end-2011 to complete. Widening between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and 3, started in June and is due for completion some time next year.
It costs about $17 million. Tenders will be called soon for another four stages of widening, which include the pair of flyovers.
When all is done by 2011, 7.5km of the CTE from Bukit Timah to Yio Chu Kang will have four lanes in each direction.
LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee on Thursday said the expansion is expected to cut travelling time by 15 per cent on either direction.
Mr Yam said it is not in the interest of the public to estimate how much the remaining widening works will cost as it might influence bids for the tenders.
However, going by the cost of the widening project between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and 3 (a 1.5km stretch), the sum could be more than $70 million.
Works are expected to start next February, and will involve minor acquisitions of state land.
Punggol resident Sam Chong, 46, said the two flyovers are 'very good steps'.
'The problem has always been the exits to Braddell and the PIE,' the chief executive of a private telecomms-linked company said. 'Cars filtering causes the slowdown.'
The project will have one downside for some Potong Pasir residents, though. It will bring the highway closer to flats just before the St Andrew's Village.
At the closest point, the road will be only 12m away, from 15m to 16m now.
Mr Yam said LTA will plant thick foliage along the stretch to cut down on noise and dust. He claimed that planting is a better option to erecting sound barriers, which are common in countries like Japan, Australia and Europe.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
KPE To Cut Journey Times By Up To 25%
Source : The Business Times, September 20, 2008
SOUTH-EAST Asia's longest underground expressway opens at 10am today. And at a ceremony yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the completed Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) a significant addition to Singapore's road network.
A North South Expressway (NSE) will also be completed by 2020.
'It provides residents in north-east Singapore faster and more direct access to the city centre,' he pointed out. 'It also offers many motorists who now use the Central Expressway an alternative route.'
The 12-km KPE runs from East Coast Parkway (ECP) to the Tampines Expressway (TPE). Costing $1.7 billion to build, the KPE is part of the government's commitment to build roads to support economic growth.
The authorities say the KPE is expected to cut journey times in the north-east corridor as much as 25 per cent, benefiting motorists travelling between the north-east sector and the city, and to improve connectivity between the ECP, Pan-Island Expressway and TPE.
After the KPE, the government will build the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), to be completed by 2013, to replace the ECP at Marina Bay as a high-speed link between the ECP and the Ayer Rajah Expressway.
It will be joined to the KPE, so residents from the north-east can get access to western Singapore. And a North South Expressway (NSE) will be completed by 2020 to provide an additional route for residents from the north to reach city areas.
The MCE and NSE are expected to cost more than $10 billion. And, on top of this, $3 billion will be spent on smaller projects over the next five years. These include road widening and extensions to relieve bottlenecks. For example, a new vehicle bridge over Sungei Serangoon will be built to give motorists travelling from Sengkang and Punggol new towns direct access to the KPE.
Also, there will be an extension of Bartley Road to Tampines Avenue 10 and widening of the PIE from the Bukit Timah Expressway to Adam Road.
SOUTH-EAST Asia's longest underground expressway opens at 10am today. And at a ceremony yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the completed Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) a significant addition to Singapore's road network.
A North South Expressway (NSE) will also be completed by 2020.
'It provides residents in north-east Singapore faster and more direct access to the city centre,' he pointed out. 'It also offers many motorists who now use the Central Expressway an alternative route.'
The 12-km KPE runs from East Coast Parkway (ECP) to the Tampines Expressway (TPE). Costing $1.7 billion to build, the KPE is part of the government's commitment to build roads to support economic growth.
The authorities say the KPE is expected to cut journey times in the north-east corridor as much as 25 per cent, benefiting motorists travelling between the north-east sector and the city, and to improve connectivity between the ECP, Pan-Island Expressway and TPE.
After the KPE, the government will build the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), to be completed by 2013, to replace the ECP at Marina Bay as a high-speed link between the ECP and the Ayer Rajah Expressway.
It will be joined to the KPE, so residents from the north-east can get access to western Singapore. And a North South Expressway (NSE) will be completed by 2020 to provide an additional route for residents from the north to reach city areas.
The MCE and NSE are expected to cost more than $10 billion. And, on top of this, $3 billion will be spent on smaller projects over the next five years. These include road widening and extensions to relieve bottlenecks. For example, a new vehicle bridge over Sungei Serangoon will be built to give motorists travelling from Sengkang and Punggol new towns direct access to the KPE.
Also, there will be an extension of Bartley Road to Tampines Avenue 10 and widening of the PIE from the Bukit Timah Expressway to Adam Road.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
KPE To Open On Saturday
Source : The Straits Times, Sep 18, 2008
AFTER seven years of construction, the entire 12km-long Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) opens up to motorists on Saturday morning.
Joining the Tampines Expressway near Tampines Road to the East Coast Parkway at Fort Road, the expressway is aimed to help residents in the north-east areas connect to the city. -- PHOTO: ZAO BAO
Joining the Tampines Expressway near Tampines Road to the East Coast Parkway at Fort Road, the expressway is aimed to help residents in the north-east areas connect to the city.
These will include residents in the Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol estates.
With 25 entrances and exits from the expressway including Bartley Road, Upper Paya Lebar Road and Tampines Road, motorists can use the KPE as an alternative to the Central Expressway and Upper Serangoon Road.
Will the KPE open up a new route to work for you or change your daily driving pattern?
AFTER seven years of construction, the entire 12km-long Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) opens up to motorists on Saturday morning.
Joining the Tampines Expressway near Tampines Road to the East Coast Parkway at Fort Road, the expressway is aimed to help residents in the north-east areas connect to the city. -- PHOTO: ZAO BAO Joining the Tampines Expressway near Tampines Road to the East Coast Parkway at Fort Road, the expressway is aimed to help residents in the north-east areas connect to the city.
These will include residents in the Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol estates.
With 25 entrances and exits from the expressway including Bartley Road, Upper Paya Lebar Road and Tampines Road, motorists can use the KPE as an alternative to the Central Expressway and Upper Serangoon Road.
Will the KPE open up a new route to work for you or change your daily driving pattern?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
EPS For Holland V Carpark
Source : The Straits Times, Sep 8, 2008
COME end September, parking woes at Holland Village might ease when a series of measures implemented by the Housing Development Board (HDB) takes effect.
Holland Village is one of the more popular hangouts in Singapore and parking here has always been a challenge. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
An Electronic Parking System (EPS) will kick off from Sep 22 at the Holland Avenue carpark - just behind the Cold Storage supermarket.
Free parking on Sundays and public holidays will be discontinued.
The measures will help to better regulate parking demand, HDB said in a statement.
The Lorong Liput entrance to the carpark will also be converted into a one-way street to facilitate access to the carpark.
Motorists can exit the carpark via Lorong Mambong - before 6.30pm - or Holland Avenue.
Holland Village is one of the more popular hangouts in Singapore and parking here has always been a challenge.
This was made more so after the Bali bombings in 2002, when parking along some stretches of restaurants and pubs were banned.
Over a hundred more lots were removed in Oct 2004 when two carparks nearest to the shophouses were closed for the construction of the MRT Circle Line.
In 2005, a multi-storey carpark containing 89 lots was built in Holland Village to help ease the carpark crunch.
COME end September, parking woes at Holland Village might ease when a series of measures implemented by the Housing Development Board (HDB) takes effect.
Holland Village is one of the more popular hangouts in Singapore and parking here has always been a challenge. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERANAn Electronic Parking System (EPS) will kick off from Sep 22 at the Holland Avenue carpark - just behind the Cold Storage supermarket.
Free parking on Sundays and public holidays will be discontinued.
The measures will help to better regulate parking demand, HDB said in a statement.
The Lorong Liput entrance to the carpark will also be converted into a one-way street to facilitate access to the carpark.
Motorists can exit the carpark via Lorong Mambong - before 6.30pm - or Holland Avenue.
Holland Village is one of the more popular hangouts in Singapore and parking here has always been a challenge.
This was made more so after the Bali bombings in 2002, when parking along some stretches of restaurants and pubs were banned.
Over a hundred more lots were removed in Oct 2004 when two carparks nearest to the shophouses were closed for the construction of the MRT Circle Line.
In 2005, a multi-storey carpark containing 89 lots was built in Holland Village to help ease the carpark crunch.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
LTA To Look Into Impact Of ERP Gantries On Chinatown
Source : The Business Times, August 19, 2008
THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) will bring forward its ERP review of the Singapore River Line gantries from November to October, after feedback from the Chinatown Business Association that ERP charges may be having a negative impact on business.
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As the ERP was implemented in July, this still gives LTA three months for its customary review and provides sufficient time for vehicle travel patterns to stabilise.
Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance Lim Hwee Hua said: 'If the traffic situation warrants it, LTA would adjust the ERP charges to be effective from early October instead.' Review results will be announced in late September.
The gantries were introduced to ensure that businesses in the area benefit from smooth-flowing traffic in the long run.
At a meeting yesterday, Chinatown retail and business stakeholders gave LTA feedback on business operating hours, as well as where gantries could be located to control traffic.
Mrs Lim said LTA aims to ensure that ERP rates are pegged at levels that do not discourage users from entering the area simply due to congestion.
'Some of the businesses have been experiencing some slowdown either because of consumer changes or economic conditions. Changes to the ERP rates will not be able to address (this),' she said. 'There are also some issues with regard to public education. A lot of people thought that the ERP hours were operational on Saturdays as well, which is not the case.'
Adjustments to ERP charges in the area will be determined by speeds over different time segments, as well as traffic volume. In addition, LTA will study car park occupancy rates and retail sales figures to 'refine the scheme'.
THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) will bring forward its ERP review of the Singapore River Line gantries from November to October, after feedback from the Chinatown Business Association that ERP charges may be having a negative impact on business.
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As the ERP was implemented in July, this still gives LTA three months for its customary review and provides sufficient time for vehicle travel patterns to stabilise.Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance Lim Hwee Hua said: 'If the traffic situation warrants it, LTA would adjust the ERP charges to be effective from early October instead.' Review results will be announced in late September.
The gantries were introduced to ensure that businesses in the area benefit from smooth-flowing traffic in the long run.
At a meeting yesterday, Chinatown retail and business stakeholders gave LTA feedback on business operating hours, as well as where gantries could be located to control traffic.
Mrs Lim said LTA aims to ensure that ERP rates are pegged at levels that do not discourage users from entering the area simply due to congestion.
'Some of the businesses have been experiencing some slowdown either because of consumer changes or economic conditions. Changes to the ERP rates will not be able to address (this),' she said. 'There are also some issues with regard to public education. A lot of people thought that the ERP hours were operational on Saturdays as well, which is not the case.'
Adjustments to ERP charges in the area will be determined by speeds over different time segments, as well as traffic volume. In addition, LTA will study car park occupancy rates and retail sales figures to 'refine the scheme'.
Monday, August 18, 2008
LTA To Review ERP Rates For Gantries Around Singapore River
Source : Channel NewsAsia, 18 August 2008
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will review the rates for the five Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries around the Singapore River in October – a month ahead of its usual quarterly review.
The move came in response to recent feedback that businesses in nearby Chinatown have seen a slump in sales since the ERP charges were introduced in July.
The LTA met with the Chinatown Business Association on Monday as part of its ongoing engagement with stakeholders affected by ERP implementation. The authority said it will adjust the ERP rates from early October if traffic conditions warrant it.
Senior Minister of State for Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hwa, said that the new gantries are meant to ensure that businesses benefit from smooth-flowing traffic in the long term.
She cautioned that reducing ERP charges will not be able to address any underlying weaknesses in consumer demand or economic conditions.
Mrs Lim said: "What we hope to do is to make sure that the ERP rates are pegged at the appropriate level that will ensure that patrons and users of the area will not be prevented from coming in simply because of congestion.
"There are also some issues with regard to public education. A lot of people, including the operators themselves, thought that the ERP hours are operational on Saturdays as well, which is not the case.
"That is something which LTA can look into to see how it can publicise this more widely so as to help the businesses in the area." - CNA/so
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will review the rates for the five Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries around the Singapore River in October – a month ahead of its usual quarterly review.
The move came in response to recent feedback that businesses in nearby Chinatown have seen a slump in sales since the ERP charges were introduced in July. The LTA met with the Chinatown Business Association on Monday as part of its ongoing engagement with stakeholders affected by ERP implementation. The authority said it will adjust the ERP rates from early October if traffic conditions warrant it.
Senior Minister of State for Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hwa, said that the new gantries are meant to ensure that businesses benefit from smooth-flowing traffic in the long term.
She cautioned that reducing ERP charges will not be able to address any underlying weaknesses in consumer demand or economic conditions.
Mrs Lim said: "What we hope to do is to make sure that the ERP rates are pegged at the appropriate level that will ensure that patrons and users of the area will not be prevented from coming in simply because of congestion.
"There are also some issues with regard to public education. A lot of people, including the operators themselves, thought that the ERP hours are operational on Saturdays as well, which is not the case.
"That is something which LTA can look into to see how it can publicise this more widely so as to help the businesses in the area." - CNA/so
Early Review Of S'pore River Line's ERP Rates
Source : AsiaOne, Mon, Aug 18, 2008
ERP rates at gantries along the Singapore River Line could be adjusted from early October onwards, following discussions today between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Chinatown Business Association.
The review was originally supposed to take place in November 2008 to coincide with the usual quarterly review of all ERP rates.
However, LTA has said in a news release that three months (from the ERP implementation date in July 2008) would be sufficient for monitoring purposes and for motorists' driving patterns to stabilise.
LTA will announce the review results in the later part of September and adjust the ERP rates from early October onwards, if necessary.
Chinatown Business Association representatives had earlier raised concerns over the affected consumer purchases in the area. This was mainly due to public misconception that users would be charged for entering Chinatown on Saturdays. Businessmen are thus worried it might be difficult to woo patrons back into Chinatown once they have found alternatives.
However, LTA clarifies that the Saturday charging does not affect Chinatown at all. This is because the speed for roads within the Chinatown area are within optimum levels on Saturdays.
The Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon, which which operates only on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm, consists of only the gantries at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Suntec City), and the existing CBD gantries north of the Singapore River Line. This Cordon serves to manage traffic congestion in the Bugis and Marina Centre area, which had travel speeds that were not optimum before implementation in July.
According to the LTA, the gantries along the Singapore River are intended to discourage excessive through traffic within the city area for outbound trips in the evening. This would help to ensure goods and people can get to their destinations efficiently, and help businesses to remain accessible and competitive.
However, it will take into account the fact that ERP charges may have some short term impacts on businesses in its ongoing review.
ERP rates at gantries along the Singapore River Line could be adjusted from early October onwards, following discussions today between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Chinatown Business Association.
The review was originally supposed to take place in November 2008 to coincide with the usual quarterly review of all ERP rates.
However, LTA has said in a news release that three months (from the ERP implementation date in July 2008) would be sufficient for monitoring purposes and for motorists' driving patterns to stabilise.
LTA will announce the review results in the later part of September and adjust the ERP rates from early October onwards, if necessary.
Chinatown Business Association representatives had earlier raised concerns over the affected consumer purchases in the area. This was mainly due to public misconception that users would be charged for entering Chinatown on Saturdays. Businessmen are thus worried it might be difficult to woo patrons back into Chinatown once they have found alternatives.
However, LTA clarifies that the Saturday charging does not affect Chinatown at all. This is because the speed for roads within the Chinatown area are within optimum levels on Saturdays.
The Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon, which which operates only on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm, consists of only the gantries at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Suntec City), and the existing CBD gantries north of the Singapore River Line. This Cordon serves to manage traffic congestion in the Bugis and Marina Centre area, which had travel speeds that were not optimum before implementation in July.
According to the LTA, the gantries along the Singapore River are intended to discourage excessive through traffic within the city area for outbound trips in the evening. This would help to ensure goods and people can get to their destinations efficiently, and help businesses to remain accessible and competitive.
However, it will take into account the fact that ERP charges may have some short term impacts on businesses in its ongoing review.
Monday, July 7, 2008
ERP - Expect To See More Of These Gantries In Coming Months
Source : The Straits Times, July 7, 2008
New KPE will have 16, taking grand total from 60 to more than 80
EVEN as motorists cope with five fresh electronic road-pricing (ERP) gantries along the Singapore River and extended operating hours at others in the city from this week, more gantries are set to come onstream.
Besides the half dozen announced for spots along roads such as Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandra Road and Serangoon Road - to go up by November - 16 more are planned for the new Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), which will run 12km from East Coast Parkway in the south to Tampines Expressway in the north. Three quarters of it will run underground.
When it opens fully on Sept 20, it will have the most ERP gantries among all roads here.
According to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman, however, they will not all be switched on at the same time, unless the average speed dips below 45kmh in the tunnels.
The new gantries form part of a massive ERP project the LTA recently awarded to MHI Engine System Asia, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Worth $83 million, the contract includes 27 new gantries, all to be up by this year, the replacement of some older gantries and maintenance works.
The cost is higher than the $80 million spent on Singapore's 60 existing gantries, the first of which went up 10 years ago.
Asked about the huge expenditure, the LTA said construction and materials costs had risen over the years. Each three-lane gantry now costs $1.5 million, compared to $1 million before, said the spokesman.
The expansion of the ERP network will see almost 90 gantries here by the end of the year.
Five gantries went up in areas such as Toa Payoh Lorong 6 and Geylang Bahru in April. Like those for the future KPE, it was decided they would only be switched on if traffic speeds dipped below the 45kmh threshold for expressway speeds. All have since been switched on.
The 45kmh threshold will be adjusted over the next few months. To stave off ERP, 85 per cent of vehicles will have to attain the optimum speed, instead of half the vehicles now.
'For safety reasons, it is essential that we keep traffic in the tunnel smooth-flowing,' the LTA spokesman said of the KPE.
Asked if that meant ERP on the KPE may be operational over weekends as well, the spokesman said no decision on that had been made.
But retired traffic planner Joseph Yee expects the KPE gantries to be switched on before long. He explained that when the LTA conducted traffic forecasts using computer simulations, it found that without congestion pricing, 'the KPE would be jammed quite soon after it opened'.
Mr Yee expects the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) now being built to have ERP too. The $2.5 billion MCE is a 5km underground road connecting the KPE and ECP to the Ayer Rajah Expressway. It is due to be completed by the end of 2013.
Motorists are not looking forward to the fast-expanding gantry network.
Said housewife Beverly Wong, 38: 'That is terrible. Food and fuel prices are increasing. This isn't helping.'
To ease the pain, a 15 per cent cut in road tax will kick in this month; public transport services have also been beefed up to make buses and trains a more viable alternative.
Editor of Torque motoring magazine Lee Nian Tjoe, 30, expects some drivers to be priced out, but he says the majority will continue driving into ERP areas.
Aircraft sales engineer Ng Tzong Sheng, 30, says he does not need to drive into ERP zones, but he wonders whether 'average speeds' could be improved by better synchronising traffic lights and carrying out roadworks only during off-peak periods.
New ones activated today along Singapore River
FIVE new Electronic Road Pricing gantries along the Singapore River will go live this evening.
They are at Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Fullerton Road in both directions.
The new gantries, which will bring the number here to 65, will charge $2 from 6pm to 7.30pm, and $1 from 7.30pm to 8pm on weekdays.
The Land Transport Authority says the intention of the gantries is to reduce the number of vehicles passing through the City Hall and Marina Centre areas to get to other places.
Two of the five gantries - the one in Eu Tong Sen Street, and the one in Fullerton Road in the direction of Suntec City - will also operate on Saturday from 12.30pm to 8pm.
They will charge $2.
Besides the new gantries, higher rates and extended operating hours will also kick in at gantries in the Central Business District from today.
YEO GHIM LAY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where the five are
1. Eu Tong Sen Street
2. New Bridge Road
3. South Bridge Road
4. Fullerton Road (towards Esplanade Drive)
5. Fullerton Road (towards Collyer Quay)
New KPE will have 16, taking grand total from 60 to more than 80
EVEN as motorists cope with five fresh electronic road-pricing (ERP) gantries along the Singapore River and extended operating hours at others in the city from this week, more gantries are set to come onstream.
Besides the half dozen announced for spots along roads such as Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandra Road and Serangoon Road - to go up by November - 16 more are planned for the new Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), which will run 12km from East Coast Parkway in the south to Tampines Expressway in the north. Three quarters of it will run underground. When it opens fully on Sept 20, it will have the most ERP gantries among all roads here.
According to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman, however, they will not all be switched on at the same time, unless the average speed dips below 45kmh in the tunnels.
The new gantries form part of a massive ERP project the LTA recently awarded to MHI Engine System Asia, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Worth $83 million, the contract includes 27 new gantries, all to be up by this year, the replacement of some older gantries and maintenance works.
The cost is higher than the $80 million spent on Singapore's 60 existing gantries, the first of which went up 10 years ago.
Asked about the huge expenditure, the LTA said construction and materials costs had risen over the years. Each three-lane gantry now costs $1.5 million, compared to $1 million before, said the spokesman.
The expansion of the ERP network will see almost 90 gantries here by the end of the year.
Five gantries went up in areas such as Toa Payoh Lorong 6 and Geylang Bahru in April. Like those for the future KPE, it was decided they would only be switched on if traffic speeds dipped below the 45kmh threshold for expressway speeds. All have since been switched on. The 45kmh threshold will be adjusted over the next few months. To stave off ERP, 85 per cent of vehicles will have to attain the optimum speed, instead of half the vehicles now.
'For safety reasons, it is essential that we keep traffic in the tunnel smooth-flowing,' the LTA spokesman said of the KPE.
Asked if that meant ERP on the KPE may be operational over weekends as well, the spokesman said no decision on that had been made.
But retired traffic planner Joseph Yee expects the KPE gantries to be switched on before long. He explained that when the LTA conducted traffic forecasts using computer simulations, it found that without congestion pricing, 'the KPE would be jammed quite soon after it opened'.
Mr Yee expects the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) now being built to have ERP too. The $2.5 billion MCE is a 5km underground road connecting the KPE and ECP to the Ayer Rajah Expressway. It is due to be completed by the end of 2013.
Motorists are not looking forward to the fast-expanding gantry network.
Said housewife Beverly Wong, 38: 'That is terrible. Food and fuel prices are increasing. This isn't helping.'
To ease the pain, a 15 per cent cut in road tax will kick in this month; public transport services have also been beefed up to make buses and trains a more viable alternative.
Editor of Torque motoring magazine Lee Nian Tjoe, 30, expects some drivers to be priced out, but he says the majority will continue driving into ERP areas.
Aircraft sales engineer Ng Tzong Sheng, 30, says he does not need to drive into ERP zones, but he wonders whether 'average speeds' could be improved by better synchronising traffic lights and carrying out roadworks only during off-peak periods.
New ones activated today along Singapore River
FIVE new Electronic Road Pricing gantries along the Singapore River will go live this evening.
They are at Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Fullerton Road in both directions.
The new gantries, which will bring the number here to 65, will charge $2 from 6pm to 7.30pm, and $1 from 7.30pm to 8pm on weekdays.
The Land Transport Authority says the intention of the gantries is to reduce the number of vehicles passing through the City Hall and Marina Centre areas to get to other places.
Two of the five gantries - the one in Eu Tong Sen Street, and the one in Fullerton Road in the direction of Suntec City - will also operate on Saturday from 12.30pm to 8pm.
They will charge $2.
Besides the new gantries, higher rates and extended operating hours will also kick in at gantries in the Central Business District from today.
YEO GHIM LAY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where the five are
1. Eu Tong Sen Street
2. New Bridge Road
3. South Bridge Road
4. Fullerton Road (towards Esplanade Drive)
5. Fullerton Road (towards Collyer Quay)
Sunday, July 6, 2008
5 S'pore River ERP gantries kick in on Monday
Source : The Sunday Times, July 6, 2008
FIVE new Electronic Road Pricing gantries along the Singapore River will go live on Monday evening.
They are at Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Fullerton Road in both directions.
The new gantries, which will bring the total number of gantries in Singapore to 65, will charge $2 from 6pm to 7.30pm and $1 from 7.30pm to 8pm.
The Land Transport Authority has said that the gantries are meant to cut through traffic that use the City Hall and Marina Centre area to get to other places.
Two of the five gantries, at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Suntec City) will also operate on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm. They will charge $2.
Besides the new gantries, higher rates and extended operation hours will also kick in at gantries in the Central Business District from on Monday.
FIVE new Electronic Road Pricing gantries along the Singapore River will go live on Monday evening.
They are at Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Fullerton Road in both directions.
The new gantries, which will bring the total number of gantries in Singapore to 65, will charge $2 from 6pm to 7.30pm and $1 from 7.30pm to 8pm.
The Land Transport Authority has said that the gantries are meant to cut through traffic that use the City Hall and Marina Centre area to get to other places.
Two of the five gantries, at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Suntec City) will also operate on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm. They will charge $2.
Besides the new gantries, higher rates and extended operation hours will also kick in at gantries in the Central Business District from on Monday.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Road Upgrading Project To Cut Travel Time From City To Northeast By 60%
Source : Channel NewsAsia, 19 June 2008
The massive road intersection between Serangoon and MacPherson Roads will be upgraded at a cost of 130 million Singapore dollars and will be completed in 2011.
The Woodsville Interchange is one of the busiest in Singapore. In each hour during peak periods, over 8,500 vehicles ply the four arterial roads that form the intersection. The roads are Serangoon, Upper Serangoon, Bendemeer and MacPherson Roads.
Related Video :- http://tinyurl.com/67bodf
As that’s close to full capacity, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it's time for an upgrade.
Over the next three years, LTA will build a series of road tunnels.
One will join Serangoon Road to Upper Serangoon Road. Another links Upper Serangoon Road to Bendemeer Road. A third connects MacPherson Road to Bendemeer Road.
The first two tunnels are two-lane roads and the third is a one-lane road.
There will also be a flyover from the PIE slip road to Kallang Way.
These improvements will raise vehicle capacity by 30 per cent and cut travelling time in the area by 60 per cent.
Other works include rebuilding and adding more pedestrian overhead bridges and bus-stops in the area.
This road project is said to be one of the most complex ever undertaken by the LTA. One reason is because the three vehicular tunnels are going to be constructed just five metres above the existing northeast MRT line. This means that if digging is not done properly, the entire area will be compromised.
LTA has said that safety will be paramount and the site will be monitored round-the-clock.
Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive, LTA, said: “We studied all the infrastructures, for example, at the major holding points for the PIE above ground. We also studied the types of soil conditions the different depths and orientations of the North-East Line tunnels, the other tunnels and the deep sewage tunnels.”
The LTA is aware of the inconveniences that come with construction of such scale.
So for the first time, it has set up a Project Community and Control Centre near the site to handle queries from those working and living nearby.
It's known as PC-cube and it will be open 9am to 5pm on weekdays. It will showcase the project's progress.
The centre will also monitor traffic flows at the interchange to ensure that traffic is moving at a satisfactory pace during the works. - CNA/vm
The massive road intersection between Serangoon and MacPherson Roads will be upgraded at a cost of 130 million Singapore dollars and will be completed in 2011.
The Woodsville Interchange is one of the busiest in Singapore. In each hour during peak periods, over 8,500 vehicles ply the four arterial roads that form the intersection. The roads are Serangoon, Upper Serangoon, Bendemeer and MacPherson Roads. Related Video :- http://tinyurl.com/67bodf
As that’s close to full capacity, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it's time for an upgrade.
Over the next three years, LTA will build a series of road tunnels.
One will join Serangoon Road to Upper Serangoon Road. Another links Upper Serangoon Road to Bendemeer Road. A third connects MacPherson Road to Bendemeer Road.
The first two tunnels are two-lane roads and the third is a one-lane road.
There will also be a flyover from the PIE slip road to Kallang Way.
These improvements will raise vehicle capacity by 30 per cent and cut travelling time in the area by 60 per cent.
Other works include rebuilding and adding more pedestrian overhead bridges and bus-stops in the area.
This road project is said to be one of the most complex ever undertaken by the LTA. One reason is because the three vehicular tunnels are going to be constructed just five metres above the existing northeast MRT line. This means that if digging is not done properly, the entire area will be compromised.
LTA has said that safety will be paramount and the site will be monitored round-the-clock.
Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive, LTA, said: “We studied all the infrastructures, for example, at the major holding points for the PIE above ground. We also studied the types of soil conditions the different depths and orientations of the North-East Line tunnels, the other tunnels and the deep sewage tunnels.”
The LTA is aware of the inconveniences that come with construction of such scale.
So for the first time, it has set up a Project Community and Control Centre near the site to handle queries from those working and living nearby.
It's known as PC-cube and it will be open 9am to 5pm on weekdays. It will showcase the project's progress.
The centre will also monitor traffic flows at the interchange to ensure that traffic is moving at a satisfactory pace during the works. - CNA/vm
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Higher ERP Rates And New Gantries From July 7
Source : The Straits Times, June 18, 2008
Changes are aimed at making city traffic flow smoothly in the evenings
TOP up that CashCard. Driving into the city is going to cost more.
Five new gantries along the banks of the Singapore River go live from July 7, bringing the total number islandwide to 65.
Gantries in the business district will stay on an extra hour, to 8pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays, Orchard Road gantries will start an hour earlier, at 11am.
Higher Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges kick in, too. Motorists will pay up to $2 more in the most extensive review of tolls since the first gantry went up 10 years ago.
The focus of this review is to speed up city traffic, especially from 6pm to 8pm.
Average speeds along North Bridge Road and South Bridge Road have dropped from about 25kmh in 2002 to 19kmh last month.
To speed things up, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is making three changes, starting with how ERP is charged.
'When a motorist has paid whatever the going rate is to use the road, we want him to be able to have a smooth journey. The problem now with the average speed measurement is that the majority of people who pay do not get that experience,' said an LTA spokesman.
From July 7, motorists will get to travel at speeds above 20kmh on arterial roads and at least 45kmh on expressways, at least 85 per cent of the time, up from just half the time now.
The new criteria will be used in the city centre first, before being extended to other gantries over the next seven months.
Another change being made affects the actual ERP charges. All new gantries will start with $2 deductions and as speeds deteriorate, each jump will be $1.
Over the last 10 years, it has become increasingly more difficult to deter motorists with 50-cent jumps. In 2006, it took nine rate hikes to do the job. Last year, 25 adjustments were needed, said LTA.
The last change - adding five new gantries along the Singapore River - is aimed at discouraging motorists from using city roads as a short cut.
These initiatives were first mentioned in January as part of a new transport masterplan aimed at getting more people onto public transport.
Since then, extra train and bus services and higher fuel prices have helped move some motorists off the roads.
Public transport ridership hit a record 4.78 million rides a day in the first three months of this year.
But this is not enough to postpone ERP rate hikes, said LTA. Average speeds along Bras Basah Road, for example, are down from about 30kmh in 2002 to about 22kmh last month.
Higher inflation is also not a reason to put it off.
Mr Cedric Foo, head of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Transport, said: 'We should not mix up road usage measures like ERP with means to cope with general inflation.'
LTA added that holding off the ERP changes can lead to bigger economic problems due to congestion.
Motorists will get some relief in the form of lower road tax from next month. Vehicle registration fees were also lowered in March.
Mr Ong Kian Min, deputy chairman, GPC (Transport), added: 'With the change in how ERP charges are determined, motorists are given the Government's assurance that if you pay to use the road, you can enjoy a smooth ride.'
Changes are aimed at making city traffic flow smoothly in the evenings
TOP up that CashCard. Driving into the city is going to cost more.
Five new gantries along the banks of the Singapore River go live from July 7, bringing the total number islandwide to 65.
Gantries in the business district will stay on an extra hour, to 8pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays, Orchard Road gantries will start an hour earlier, at 11am.
Higher Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges kick in, too. Motorists will pay up to $2 more in the most extensive review of tolls since the first gantry went up 10 years ago. The focus of this review is to speed up city traffic, especially from 6pm to 8pm.
Average speeds along North Bridge Road and South Bridge Road have dropped from about 25kmh in 2002 to 19kmh last month.
To speed things up, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is making three changes, starting with how ERP is charged.
'When a motorist has paid whatever the going rate is to use the road, we want him to be able to have a smooth journey. The problem now with the average speed measurement is that the majority of people who pay do not get that experience,' said an LTA spokesman.
From July 7, motorists will get to travel at speeds above 20kmh on arterial roads and at least 45kmh on expressways, at least 85 per cent of the time, up from just half the time now.
The new criteria will be used in the city centre first, before being extended to other gantries over the next seven months.
Another change being made affects the actual ERP charges. All new gantries will start with $2 deductions and as speeds deteriorate, each jump will be $1.
Over the last 10 years, it has become increasingly more difficult to deter motorists with 50-cent jumps. In 2006, it took nine rate hikes to do the job. Last year, 25 adjustments were needed, said LTA.
The last change - adding five new gantries along the Singapore River - is aimed at discouraging motorists from using city roads as a short cut.
These initiatives were first mentioned in January as part of a new transport masterplan aimed at getting more people onto public transport.
Since then, extra train and bus services and higher fuel prices have helped move some motorists off the roads.
Public transport ridership hit a record 4.78 million rides a day in the first three months of this year.
But this is not enough to postpone ERP rate hikes, said LTA. Average speeds along Bras Basah Road, for example, are down from about 30kmh in 2002 to about 22kmh last month.
Higher inflation is also not a reason to put it off.
Mr Cedric Foo, head of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Transport, said: 'We should not mix up road usage measures like ERP with means to cope with general inflation.'
LTA added that holding off the ERP changes can lead to bigger economic problems due to congestion.
Motorists will get some relief in the form of lower road tax from next month. Vehicle registration fees were also lowered in March.
Mr Ong Kian Min, deputy chairman, GPC (Transport), added: 'With the change in how ERP charges are determined, motorists are given the Government's assurance that if you pay to use the road, you can enjoy a smooth ride.'
ERP Rates In CBD To Go Up, 5 New Gantries Added
Source : Channel NewsAsia, 17 June 2008
About half of existing ERP gantries islandwide will see their rates increase from July 7.
The electronic road pricing (ERP) rates for 32 of 65 gantries will increase by between 50 cents and S$2.00. The gantries are primarily in the Central Business District (CBD) and Orchard Road.
Five new ERP gantries along the Singapore River will also be activated on July 7.
Traffic in the CBD is slowing down, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA). So in January, as part of its Master Plan, the LTA came up with a new way to measure speed.
It is called the 85th percentile method - this is when motorists experience smooth traffic at least 85 percent of the time on roads that have ERP gantries.
Related Video :- http://tinyurl.com/3veq8q
Another new LTA initiative is for bigger ERP rate increases because, LTA said, motorists are less sensitive to the existing rate structure.
In addition, ERP operating hours in the CBD will be extended by one hour on weekdays - from 7pm to 8pm - while gantries in the Orchard Road cordon will start an hour earlier on Saturdays, at 11am.
To reduce congestion further, LTA is putting in five new gantries along the Singapore River.
This essentially divides the CBD into two parts - the predominantly shopping-commercial district around the Bugis-Marina area and the office-based areas in Robinson Road.
LTA hopes that these gantries, which run from Eu Tong Sen Street to Fullerton Road, will cut down on what they call "through traffic".
LTA's chief engineer for transportation, Dr Chin Kian Keong, said: "The gantries along the Singapore River will deal with traffic passing through. They (some motorists using the roads) are not destined for that part of the city, but merely passing through to get to other parts of Singapore. If we can discourage some of these trips from city roads, traffic levels on these roads will become better."
Currently, a third of all traffic in the area is what LTA calls "through traffic" and LTA hopes to cut this by half, with the new ERP gantries.
Five of these gantries - at Fullerton Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and South Bridge Road - will operate on weekdays from 6pm to 8pm daily. Motorists will pay S$2.00 from 6pm to 7.30pm and S$1.00 from 7.30pm to 8pm.
Two of the gantries - at Fullerton Road and Eu Tong Sen Street - will also operate on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm, and motorists will have to pay S$2.00.
More changes may be coming up. In November, LTA will again use its new criteria to review gantry rates within and up to the outer cordon. And in February next year, LTA will look at all other gantries islandwide.
The question many motorists may have is "why is the government increasing the ERP rates now?", considering that there is a freeze on all government fees till the end of the year.
The Transport Ministry said things like the ERP rates are excluded from the freeze and that traffic congestion, left unchecked, will have a negative effect on the economy. - CNA/ir
About half of existing ERP gantries islandwide will see their rates increase from July 7.
The electronic road pricing (ERP) rates for 32 of 65 gantries will increase by between 50 cents and S$2.00. The gantries are primarily in the Central Business District (CBD) and Orchard Road.
Five new ERP gantries along the Singapore River will also be activated on July 7. Traffic in the CBD is slowing down, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA). So in January, as part of its Master Plan, the LTA came up with a new way to measure speed.
It is called the 85th percentile method - this is when motorists experience smooth traffic at least 85 percent of the time on roads that have ERP gantries.
Related Video :- http://tinyurl.com/3veq8q
Another new LTA initiative is for bigger ERP rate increases because, LTA said, motorists are less sensitive to the existing rate structure.
In addition, ERP operating hours in the CBD will be extended by one hour on weekdays - from 7pm to 8pm - while gantries in the Orchard Road cordon will start an hour earlier on Saturdays, at 11am.
To reduce congestion further, LTA is putting in five new gantries along the Singapore River.
This essentially divides the CBD into two parts - the predominantly shopping-commercial district around the Bugis-Marina area and the office-based areas in Robinson Road.
LTA hopes that these gantries, which run from Eu Tong Sen Street to Fullerton Road, will cut down on what they call "through traffic".
LTA's chief engineer for transportation, Dr Chin Kian Keong, said: "The gantries along the Singapore River will deal with traffic passing through. They (some motorists using the roads) are not destined for that part of the city, but merely passing through to get to other parts of Singapore. If we can discourage some of these trips from city roads, traffic levels on these roads will become better."
Currently, a third of all traffic in the area is what LTA calls "through traffic" and LTA hopes to cut this by half, with the new ERP gantries.
Five of these gantries - at Fullerton Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and South Bridge Road - will operate on weekdays from 6pm to 8pm daily. Motorists will pay S$2.00 from 6pm to 7.30pm and S$1.00 from 7.30pm to 8pm.
Two of the gantries - at Fullerton Road and Eu Tong Sen Street - will also operate on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm, and motorists will have to pay S$2.00.
More changes may be coming up. In November, LTA will again use its new criteria to review gantry rates within and up to the outer cordon. And in February next year, LTA will look at all other gantries islandwide.
The question many motorists may have is "why is the government increasing the ERP rates now?", considering that there is a freeze on all government fees till the end of the year.
The Transport Ministry said things like the ERP rates are excluded from the freeze and that traffic congestion, left unchecked, will have a negative effect on the economy. - CNA/ir
New Gantries To Beat Congestion In City Centre, ERP Rate Structure Revised
Source : The Business Times, June 18, 2008
Five new ERP gantries and increases in electronic road pricing rates from July 7 are aimed at easing congestion in the city centre.
The new gantries will run along the Singapore River from Clemenceau Avenue to Fullerton Road. They will separate commercial and shopping areas such as the Suntec City area from the office-based areas in Shenton Way and Robinson Road.
The aim is to cut the amount of through traffic using the city area for outbound trips in the evening. The concept is similar to that behind the Orchard Cordon, which discourages vehicles from using Orchard Road to get to other areas.
Since the Orchard Cordon was implemented, 'transit traffic has been reduced from 30 per cent to 20 per cent', according to Permanent Secretary for Transport Choi Shing Kwok.
The aim of the new gantries is to cut the current 6,000 car trips into the central business district by 17-18 per cent.
'Fuel price increases have not affected this group much,' says Mr Choi, after citing a 7 per cent jump in the public transport ridership in the first four months of the year - when petrol prices were soaring.
The five new gantries will operate from 6pm to 8pm on weekdays. Two of them - at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Esplanade Drive) - will also operate on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm. They will join 32 existing gantries in the CBD. With the five new ERP gantries, the island will have a total of 65.
The revision of the ERP rate structure involves increases in the base charge and increments. For cars, the incremental charge will be raised from 50 cents to $1. The base charge, which is the starting charge for a new ERP gantry point, will be raised from the current $1 to $2.
The Land Transport Authority said this is because motorists have become less sensitive to the current rate structure, which has remained unchanged since 1998.
According to LTA, the changes will improve the effectiveness of the ERP system, and each time ERP rates are adjusted, motorists who still choose to drive on these roads will see a visible improvement in traffic flow.
LTA allayed concerns about the possible effect on businesses by citing the experience of London and its congestion charge. It said that since the English capital started the scheme, traffic in the central charging zone has been cut by 21 per cent. But hotels, restaurants and retail businesses have not only registered stronger business performance but outperformed other areas of London.
Five new ERP gantries and increases in electronic road pricing rates from July 7 are aimed at easing congestion in the city centre.
The new gantries will run along the Singapore River from Clemenceau Avenue to Fullerton Road. They will separate commercial and shopping areas such as the Suntec City area from the office-based areas in Shenton Way and Robinson Road.
The aim is to cut the amount of through traffic using the city area for outbound trips in the evening. The concept is similar to that behind the Orchard Cordon, which discourages vehicles from using Orchard Road to get to other areas.
Since the Orchard Cordon was implemented, 'transit traffic has been reduced from 30 per cent to 20 per cent', according to Permanent Secretary for Transport Choi Shing Kwok.
The aim of the new gantries is to cut the current 6,000 car trips into the central business district by 17-18 per cent.
'Fuel price increases have not affected this group much,' says Mr Choi, after citing a 7 per cent jump in the public transport ridership in the first four months of the year - when petrol prices were soaring.
The five new gantries will operate from 6pm to 8pm on weekdays. Two of them - at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Esplanade Drive) - will also operate on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 8pm. They will join 32 existing gantries in the CBD. With the five new ERP gantries, the island will have a total of 65.
The revision of the ERP rate structure involves increases in the base charge and increments. For cars, the incremental charge will be raised from 50 cents to $1. The base charge, which is the starting charge for a new ERP gantry point, will be raised from the current $1 to $2.
The Land Transport Authority said this is because motorists have become less sensitive to the current rate structure, which has remained unchanged since 1998.
According to LTA, the changes will improve the effectiveness of the ERP system, and each time ERP rates are adjusted, motorists who still choose to drive on these roads will see a visible improvement in traffic flow.
LTA allayed concerns about the possible effect on businesses by citing the experience of London and its congestion charge. It said that since the English capital started the scheme, traffic in the central charging zone has been cut by 21 per cent. But hotels, restaurants and retail businesses have not only registered stronger business performance but outperformed other areas of London.
Monday, June 2, 2008
CTE Widening To Start On Monday
Source : The Business Times, 31 May 2008
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will start widening the Central Expressway (CTE) between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 from June 2.
The $16.9 million project will expand the road to four lanes each way from three. It is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
Owing to alignment and terrain limitations, only the southbound carriageway will be widened at first. Subsequently, the centre reservation will be shifted to increase the width of the northboundcarriageway.
To minimise traffic disruption, work will take place off the carriageway by day. When lane closures are necessary, this will only happen after 11 pm, and directional and information signs will be put up to guide motorists to alternative routes.
To eliminate the need for multi-stage traffic diversions during the construction of drainage culverts, a new pipe jacking method, costing 50 per cent more than the conventional cut-and-carry method, will be used.
Disturbance from the works will be managed with roadside hoardings made of acoustic noise-reduction blankets, and noise guards fitted on machinery and equipment.
LTA estimates that about 500 trees will be cut down as part of the project, but it has collaborated with the National Parks Board to do advance planting behind the trees to be felled. The new trees will help screen the works from housing beside the expressway.
The works will also involve replacing an existing pedestrian overhead bridge with a covered bridge with ramps and linkways leading directly to HDB blocks.
These works are the first phase in LTA's plan to widen the CTE between the Pan-Island Expressway and Yio Chu Kang Road to a dual four-lane carriageway by end-2011.
The move caters to anticipated population growth in Singapore's north-east corridor. Details of subsequent phases of the plan have yet to be finalised. They will be announced later this year.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will start widening the Central Expressway (CTE) between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 from June 2.
The $16.9 million project will expand the road to four lanes each way from three. It is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
Owing to alignment and terrain limitations, only the southbound carriageway will be widened at first. Subsequently, the centre reservation will be shifted to increase the width of the northboundcarriageway.
To minimise traffic disruption, work will take place off the carriageway by day. When lane closures are necessary, this will only happen after 11 pm, and directional and information signs will be put up to guide motorists to alternative routes.
To eliminate the need for multi-stage traffic diversions during the construction of drainage culverts, a new pipe jacking method, costing 50 per cent more than the conventional cut-and-carry method, will be used.
Disturbance from the works will be managed with roadside hoardings made of acoustic noise-reduction blankets, and noise guards fitted on machinery and equipment.
LTA estimates that about 500 trees will be cut down as part of the project, but it has collaborated with the National Parks Board to do advance planting behind the trees to be felled. The new trees will help screen the works from housing beside the expressway.
The works will also involve replacing an existing pedestrian overhead bridge with a covered bridge with ramps and linkways leading directly to HDB blocks.
These works are the first phase in LTA's plan to widen the CTE between the Pan-Island Expressway and Yio Chu Kang Road to a dual four-lane carriageway by end-2011.
The move caters to anticipated population growth in Singapore's north-east corridor. Details of subsequent phases of the plan have yet to be finalised. They will be announced later this year.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
$17m Widening Of CTE To Begin On Monday
Source : The Straits Times, May 31, 2008
1st phase to last till end-2009, but delays to traffic will be minimal
WORK will begin on Monday to widen the Central Expressway (CTE), but officials say the construction will cause minimal delays on Singapore's busiest thoroughfare.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will add a fourth lane on both sides of a 1.5km stretch between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.
The work, which will cost $16.9 million, is scheduled to last till the end of next year. The LTA said for most of that time, the expressway's six lanes will remain open.
However, it will close after 11pm on some nights for repaving and to remove an overhead pedestrian crossing.
This is the first phase of a plan to ease congestion on the CTE, which is plagued by traffic jams during morning and evening peak periods.
The Ministry of Transport hopes the work, together with the opening of the Circle Line, Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway and North-South Expressway, will ease congestion on the north-south stretch.
The LTA also plans to expand another 5.5km section of the CTE from the Pan-Island Expressway to Yio Chu Kang Road by 2011.
As part of the project, a new sheltered overhead bridge - replacing the old uncovered bridge - will be built to connect Housing Board blocks with the Serangoon Gardens private estate.
To keep the racket down, the LTA will use noise reduction blankets on its hoardings and put noise guards on machinery.
The authority will also use, for the first time, a more costly method of installing pipes running under the roads.
Unlike the usual 'cut-and- cover' method, where motorists have to be redirected to their lanes, the pipes are laid underground without the need to tear up lanes.
1st phase to last till end-2009, but delays to traffic will be minimal
WORK will begin on Monday to widen the Central Expressway (CTE), but officials say the construction will cause minimal delays on Singapore's busiest thoroughfare.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will add a fourth lane on both sides of a 1.5km stretch between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.
The work, which will cost $16.9 million, is scheduled to last till the end of next year. The LTA said for most of that time, the expressway's six lanes will remain open.
However, it will close after 11pm on some nights for repaving and to remove an overhead pedestrian crossing.
This is the first phase of a plan to ease congestion on the CTE, which is plagued by traffic jams during morning and evening peak periods.
The Ministry of Transport hopes the work, together with the opening of the Circle Line, Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway and North-South Expressway, will ease congestion on the north-south stretch.
The LTA also plans to expand another 5.5km section of the CTE from the Pan-Island Expressway to Yio Chu Kang Road by 2011.
As part of the project, a new sheltered overhead bridge - replacing the old uncovered bridge - will be built to connect Housing Board blocks with the Serangoon Gardens private estate.
To keep the racket down, the LTA will use noise reduction blankets on its hoardings and put noise guards on machinery.
The authority will also use, for the first time, a more costly method of installing pipes running under the roads.
Unlike the usual 'cut-and- cover' method, where motorists have to be redirected to their lanes, the pipes are laid underground without the need to tear up lanes.
Stretch Of CTE Between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 And 3 To Be Widened
Source : Channel NewsAsia, 30 May 2008
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be widening various stretches of the Central Expressway (CTE).
This was announced by LTA when it gave details of the first stretch to be widened - the section from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. The existing three lanes will be widened to four.
LTA said this is to enhance connectivity and cater to the future population growth in the northeast.
Construction will begin next Monday and it is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
Meanwhile, LTA will put up signs about some of the road closures so that motorists can be diverted to alternative routes.
LTA also said three more stretches of the CTE will be widened by the end of 2011 and these fall between the Pan-Island Expressway and Yio Chu Kang Road.
LTA will be calling for contracts to widen these three stretches by the end of the year. - CNA/ms
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be widening various stretches of the Central Expressway (CTE).
This was announced by LTA when it gave details of the first stretch to be widened - the section from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. The existing three lanes will be widened to four. LTA said this is to enhance connectivity and cater to the future population growth in the northeast.
Construction will begin next Monday and it is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
Meanwhile, LTA will put up signs about some of the road closures so that motorists can be diverted to alternative routes.
LTA also said three more stretches of the CTE will be widened by the end of 2011 and these fall between the Pan-Island Expressway and Yio Chu Kang Road.
LTA will be calling for contracts to widen these three stretches by the end of the year. - CNA/ms
Monday, May 12, 2008
Rates To Be Displayed At All Gantries
Source : The Straits Times, May 12, 2008
BY the latter half of this year, motorists will have an idea of how much they have to pay to pass under an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry - from 100m away.
Existing gantries will each have an extra panel installed above them to show the charges for that time period and the pricing for the various types of vehicles.
Some gantries already have an electronic board alongside the gantry serving the same purpose but, as Transport Minister Raymond Lim conceded in Parliament earlier this year, these are sometimes too small for motorists to read.
The new signboards, called the Rates Variable Message System, by being visible from 100m away, will enable motorists to make a 'considered decision' about whether to pass under the gantry.
Each panel costs $65,000 to install. The tab for the 70 gantries therefore comes to $4.55 million.
The first five gantries with these new displays will be those at the Singapore River cordon. They go live in July. The signboards will then be installed at the gantries in the city centre and, subsequently, at the other gantries. The displays will go live progressively and all will be operational by November.
MARIA ALMENOAR
BY the latter half of this year, motorists will have an idea of how much they have to pay to pass under an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry - from 100m away.
Existing gantries will each have an extra panel installed above them to show the charges for that time period and the pricing for the various types of vehicles. Some gantries already have an electronic board alongside the gantry serving the same purpose but, as Transport Minister Raymond Lim conceded in Parliament earlier this year, these are sometimes too small for motorists to read.
The new signboards, called the Rates Variable Message System, by being visible from 100m away, will enable motorists to make a 'considered decision' about whether to pass under the gantry.
Each panel costs $65,000 to install. The tab for the 70 gantries therefore comes to $4.55 million.
The first five gantries with these new displays will be those at the Singapore River cordon. They go live in July. The signboards will then be installed at the gantries in the city centre and, subsequently, at the other gantries. The displays will go live progressively and all will be operational by November.
MARIA ALMENOAR
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