Singapore to build two overpasses to upgrade Woodlands artery

SINGAPORE's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced three to four years of highway construction starting about a year from now on two flyovers, or overpasses and widening of Upper Bukit Timah and Woodlands roads to improve traffic flow.

First, the government will need to acquire private lands along the corridor under the Land Acquisition Act, said the LTA. The acquisition will involve a row of shop houses along Woodlands Road and lots along Upper Bukit Timah Road. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has gazetted the lands affected by the acquisition.

Upper Bukit Timah Road and Woodlands Road is as a key arterial road corridor for the north-western part of Singapore, serving the Kranji and Mandai industrial estates as well as the Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang residential estates. Currently, the corridor has high traffic volumes, especially at intersections during peak hours, said the LTA release.

When the works are completed in 2015, there will be three continuous lanes in both directions. Motorists travelling this road can expect shorter transits by using the new flyovers to bypass junctions at Woodlands Road/Bukit Panjang Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road/Dairy Farm Road/Hillview Road, said the statement.

To minimise the period of disruption to the residents and motorists, LTA will dovetail the road works with the ongoing construction of DTL2 stations and tunnels, so that the reinstatement of the road affected by the DTL2 construction will also incorporate the road improvement works, said the LTA.

"When completed, the new road and rail developments will benefit residents and businesses in the north western parts of the island. By coordinating the schedules of work, we are able to ensure a smooth transition between the two projects and, at the same time minimise the disruption to nearby stakeholders," said LTA acting chief executive Lim Bok Ngam.
(Source:www.schednet.com)