SINGAPORE - Traffic conditions on the Marina Coastal
Expressway (MCE) and its adjoining road network have been generally
smooth during peak hours since its opening apart from the morning
of Dec 30, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on
Wednesday.
Get
the full story from The Straits Times.
Here
is a press release from LTA:
Since
the opening of the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) on December 29,
2013, motorists have experienced generally smooth traffic
conditions along the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) as well as the
adjoining road network, with the exception of the morning of
December 30, 2013. Motorists using the East Coast Parkway (ECP) and
Sheares Avenue have experienced similar traffic conditions.
Based
on traffic monitoring of the road network over the past two weeks,
peak hour traffic volumes on the MCE and ECP are at the levels on
the ECP prior to the opening of the MCE . This means that traffic
originally using the ECP to travel between the east and the west as
well as to the CBD are now using the MCE and the new road
connections, as well as the existing ECP and Sheares Avenue. The
current smooth traffic conditions are not the result of motorists
still avoiding the MCE and adjoining roads.
The
traffic volumes on the MCE and ECP are currently below their design
capacity.
Congestion in the Morning of December 30, 2013
Based
on LTA's review of the traffic situation that morning, the
congestion was due to several factors, which include motorists'
lack of familiarity with the new road network, which had changed
significantly overnight, and a chokepoint along Central Boulevard.
For example:
Some
motorists from the ECP going towards the AYE in the morning did not
turn into the MCE(AYE) near Fort Road, but instead continued to use
the ECP and Sheares Avenue, turning left to Marina Boulevard and
then to MCE(AYE). This contributed to congestion along Marina
Boulevard.
Other
motorists were unsure which exits in the MCE tunnel to use. Most
motorists entered the CBD at Exit 3 via Central Boulevard whereas
there is a later exit at Exit 1 heading to Maxwell Road. As a
result, the traffic on Central Boulevard was heavier than
expected.
Motorists unfamiliar with the new interim road network in the
Marina South area also added to the congestion. This area is still
largely under development and it is not so easy for motorists to
find their bearings. The extraneous traffic increased the traffic
volume on Marina Station Road significantly, which spilled over to
Central Boulevard towards Raffles Quay and Shenton Way.
To
address the congestion, LTA took several immediate measures from
the afternoon of 30 December. These included adding and enhancing
on-site signage, converting a short stretch of Central Boulevard,
which was observed to be a traffic bottleneck, from two lanes to
four lanes, fine-tuning traffic signal timings, deploying
additional traffic marshals as well as stepping up publicity and
issuing more traffic advisories to guide motorists. These measures,
together with an increasing familiarity with the MCE and its
adjoining road network, contributed to the improved traffic
conditions thereafter.
LTA
acknowledges that more could have been done in terms of signage,
which could have minimised the congestion in the morning of 30
December - the first working day after the MCE was opened.
Misperceptions over the Design of the MCE
Some
motorists and commentators have suggested possible design
deficiencies in the MCE. LTA assures the public that this is not
the case. As with all major road projects, comprehensive planning
and traffic studies were conducted before the MCE was designed and
constructed. LTA also engaged external consultants to validate the
findings from these studies. The final design was adopted only
after going through a rigorous planning and design process to
ensure that the MCE can cater to both short-term and long-term
traffic, environmental concerns and land use needs. Please refer to
Annex A for a list of common questions and concerns raised, and
LTA's responses.
Moving
ahead, LTA will draw on the lessons learned from the December 30,
2013 traffic congestion for future road openings. LTA will be more
mindful that even as motorists are informed of the changes
beforehand, they may still be uncertain when driving on the new
road network for the first time, and will do more to cater to
this.
LTA
would like to thank all motorists for their feedback, patience and
understanding, and for adapting quickly to the new road
network.
- See more at:
http://ride.asiaone.com/news/general/story/smooth-conditions-mce-during-peak-hours-no-design-flaws-lta#sthash.1dA0qC9O.dpuf
