Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway
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| Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway | |
| Length | 12 kilometres (7.46 miles) |
|---|---|
| Direction | Northeast - South |
| Starting/Ending at | Lorong Halus (TPE) Tanjong Rhu (ECP, MCE) |
| Main areas passed through | Kallang Paya Lebar |
| Construction dates | 2001 – 26 October 2007 (ECP-PIE), 20 September 2008 (PIE-TPE) |
| Expressway intersected | TPE, PIE, ECP, MCE |
| No. of ERP Gantry | 3 |
| No. of tunnels | 1 |
The Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (Abbreviation: KPE; simplified Chinese: 加冷－巴耶利峇高速公路; pinyin: Jiālěng Bāyēlìbā Gāosù Gōnglù; Malay: Lebuhraya Kallang-Paya Lebar) is the third newest of Singapore's network of expressways. The northern and southern sections of the expressway are currently operational, having been opened on 23 June 2007 and 26 October 2007 respectively[1]. The remaining section will be opened on 20 September 2008[2].
Connecting the East Coast Parkway and the Tampines Expressway in the north-east, the 6 lane expressway will extend twelve kilometres, with approximately 8.5 kilometres (5.28 miles) of main cut and cover underground tunnels[3] running some 10 metres underground when fully completed. Built at a cost of approximately S$1.8 billion (US$1 billion), it will be the longest subterranean road tunnel in Southeast Asia. The KPE is also believed to be the world's sixth longest underground road project under construction.[4] In all, the dual-carriageway expressway with three lanes in each direction will have eight interchanges, eleven on-ramps, and twelve off-ramps.
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[edit] Construction
Construction on the expressway started in the year 2001, and is expected to be fully completed in 2008. On 23 June 2007, the northern end of the expressway between Tampines Road from the new Defu Flyover and the Tampines Expressway was opened to traffic, and named temporarily as Tampines Service Road.[5] Tampines Road will therefore no longer connect with the Tampines Expressway at the Tampines Flyover. The Defu Flyover along Tampines Road, along with the traffic signals, were commissioned on the same day from 1000 hours.[6]
On 27 July 2007, the LTA announced the opening of the southern ECP-PIE section of the expressway to traffic on 26 October 2007.[7] The entire expressway is scheduled to open on 20 September 2008.[2]
[edit] Route
The Kallang Section of the expressway starts from an interchange with the East Coast Parkway near the fourteen-kilometre mark of the ECP in a northward direction, goes underground below the Geylang River, cuts across the Kallang Sports Complex to the west of the National Stadium, comes to an interchange at the Mountbatten Road/Nicoll Highway/Guillemard Road junction, crosses the East West MRT Line, before ending with an interchange with the Pan Island Expressway at the thirteen-kilometre mark of the latter.
The Paya Lebar Section continues from where the Kallang Section leaves off beneath the Kallang River and Pelton Canal past MacPherson Estate, comes to an interchange with Paya Lebar Road, Upper Paya Lebar Road, MacPherson Road and Airport Road, crosses over the Circle MRT Line which was under construction at the same time as the expressway, and continues for almost three and a half kilometres underground beneath Airport Road and the Paya Lebar Airbase, emerges at ground level near Defu Lane 3, goes on an elevated interchange over Tampines Road. It will meet Buangkok Drive at an interchange[8] before continuing towards the existing Tampines Flyover to meet with Tampines Expressway.
On 27 July 2007, the LTA announced an extension of the KPE from East Coast Parkway to the Ayer Rajah Expressway via Marina South. The stretch would be named Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE).[9]
[edit] Road interchanges
| Exit | Interchange | To | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Coast Parkway/Fort Road | Southbound only (opened on 26 October 2007) | |
| 2A | Nicoll Highway | Southbound only | |
| 2B | Pan Island Expressway | Northbound only (opened on 26 October 2007) | |
| 2C | U/C | Sims Avenue | Southbound only |
| 3 | U/C | Pan Island Expressway (Tuas) | Southbound only |
| 5 | U/C | Upper Paya Lebar Road | Northbound only |
| 6 | U/C | Bartley Road East | |
| 9A | Defu Flyover | Tampines Road | Southbound exits opened on 23 June 2007 |
| 9B | U/C | Buangkok Drive | Northbound only |
| 10 | U/C | Buangkok Drive/Tampines Road | Southbound only |
| Tampines Flyover | Tampines Expressway | Northbound only (opened on 23 June 2007) |
[edit] Public education and congestion management
In 2006, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) engaged an advertising agency to embark on a public education programme, to inform and educate the public on the proper way to use the KPE — the first time it has done so for a road project. British firm Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) has been appointed to publicise safety messages needed to prepare users for the KPE. BBH, which in turn appointed British public relations firm Grayling, clinched the contract for S$2.81 million. Its campaign started in the second quarter of 2007, consisting of a website and an album Sounds Of The Underground of ten songs for the purpose.
The LTA has also put up a tender calling for consultants to develop congestion management systems in the KPE. The call has drawn three submissions.[4] It also rolled out the first dedicated team of Traffic Marshals, with the primary role of rapid deployment to any incident within the tunnels. The annual contract was awarded to Certis CISCO, who would deploy six marshals on motorcycles around the clock in the KPE, to be expanded to 28 motorcycles and three cars across all expressways by end 2008[10].
[edit] Speed cameras
KPE's underground section is fitted with digital speed cameras that operate 24 hours throughout the day to enforce the 70 km/h speed limit (lower if safety advisories display so).
In the first week of phase 1 operation 3,400 motorists were caught speeding in the KPE, consisting of 3% of the total traffic which alarmed the Traffic Police. 45 of the speed violators which were in excess of 40km/h received court summons, while others received either a traffic summons or a warning letter from Land Transport Authority.[11][12][13]
[edit] References
- ^ Wong Mun Wai. "Kallang-Payar Lebar Expressway to open on Friday", Channel NewsAsia, 24 October 2007.
- ^ a b SPEECH BY MR RAYMOND LIM,MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT, AT VISIT TO KALLANG-PAYA LEBAR EXPRESSWAY, 30 JANUARY 2008, 10.15 AM. Singapore Government Media Release (2008-01-30).
- ^ Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway - Mott MacDonald Project Page
- ^ a b Christopher Tan, "It's the first-ever ad blitz — for a highway", The Straits Times, 27 November 2006
- ^ "Road Closure — Services Affected: Services 53 & 81", SBS Transit, 22 June 2007
- ^ "Opening Of New Access Road To TPE From Tampines Road", Land Transport Authority, 22 June 2007
- ^ "Phase 1 , Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway To Open On 26 October 2007", Land Transport Authority, 27 July 2007
- ^ "Award Of Contract For Construction Of Vehicular Bridge Over Sungei Serangoon", Land Transport Authority, 23 February 2006
- ^ "Government Approves the Construction of MCE", Land Transport Authority, 27 July 2007
- ^ Wong Mun Wai. "Traffic Marshals to patrol the new Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway", Channel NewsAsia, 25 October 2007.
- ^ About 600 motorists caught speeding every day since new KPE opened, Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia, 2 November 2007
- ^ KPE or racetrack?, Leong Wee Keat, Today (Singapore newspaper), 3 November 2007
- ^ Laser cameras catch 3,400 motorists speeding on KPE, Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 3 November 2007
[edit] External links
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