West Coast Highway, Singapore
Encyclopedia
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
which links Jurong industrial estate and Clementi New Town to the city. It is an at-grade
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
road from its junction with Pandan Loop and West Coast Road to its interchange with Pasir Panjang Road, where it becomes a grade-separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
; the viaduct merges with Keppel Road before its interchange with Ayer Rajah Expressway
Ayer Rajah Expressway
The Ayer Rajah Expressway extends from the western end of the East Coast Parkway in the south of Singapore to Tuas in the west near the Tuas Second Link to Malaysia...
. The total length of the highway is 11 km. The viaduct is newer than the at-grade section, having been completed in 2006.
Despite what its name may suggest, the speed limit on the highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
is less than that of an expressway. The highway also has a traffic light junction at its intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
with Clementi Road, something that expressways do not have. The at-grade section of the highway is a three-lane dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
, and the viaduct is a two-lane dual carriageway with a 1-metre hard shoulder. At a length of 5 km, the viaduct is the longest in Singapore.
Extension
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
started modifying and extending the highway in the late 1990s, in response to the increased amount of traffic using it. Its intersection with Clementi Road was widened in 2000. To allow motorists to bypass intersections at Pasir Panjang Road, LTA's plans also called for the construction of a viaduct that would provide a direct link from the highway to Keppel Road on the outskirts of the city area. The viaduct was built in two phases of 2.4 km each. The first phase, from Keppel Road to Telok Blangah Street 31, started construction in 1998 and was opened to traffic on 27 April 2002.
The contract to build the second phase of the viaduct from Telok Blangah Street 31 to the highway's junction with Pasir Panjang Road, worth S$16.7 million, was awarded to L&M Prestressing in January 2000, and the viaduct was expected to be complete by July 2003. However, work slowed down in late 2002 because L&M encountered financial problems. L&M then promised LTA that the viaduct would be completed in May 2005. LTA agreed to give the company time to complete it, but when work had still not finished by that time, LTA terminated the contract on 1 June 2005 and called for an open tender to find a new contractor to finish the work. On 1 August 2005, LTA awarded the contract to Gammon, which completed the remaining work on schedule in March 2006. The viaduct's completion was commemorated with an opening ceremony and fun walk on 25 March 2006, with the then Minister for Transport Yeo Cheow Tong
Yeo Cheow Tong
Yeo Cheow Tong is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1990 to 2006, and was a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 2011....
officiating; it was opened to traffic on 26 March 2006.
At the same time, the intersection of the highway with Jalan Buroh was converted from a box junction
Box junction
A box junction is a traffic control measure designed to prevent gridlock at busy road junctions. The surface of the junction is marked with a criss-cross grid of diagonal painted lines , and vehicles may not enter the area so marked unless their exit from the junction is clear A box junction is a...
into a controlled roundabout with traffic lights. A slip road allows motorists to get to Jalan Buroh from the direction of the city without having to stop. The conversion started in May 2001 and was completed in the third quarter of 2005.
In May 2009 construction of a new dual three-lane flyover at the junction of West Coast Highway and Clementi Road started. The flyover will cost S$ 57.5 million. The flyover will allow motorists to bypass the current traffic light junction and shorten travel time along the highway. The flyover will be completed by the third quarter of 2011.
Viaduct entrances and exits
Travelling towards Clementi, there is one entry ramp — before Kampong Bahru Road. There are two exit ramps, one before Alexandra Road and another after Pasir Panjang Road.
Prominent places
West Coast Highway passes by the following places:- West Coast ParkWest Coast ParkWest Coast Park is located in West Coast, Singapore, parallel to West Coast Highway. It is themed ‘Play Centre in the West’. The park covers an area of 50 hectares.-History:...
- Haw Par VillaHaw Par VillaHaw Par Villa is a Chinese mythological theme park in Singapore, located along Pasir Panjang Road.The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese folklore, legends, history and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism...
- Pasir Panjang container terminal and Pasir Panjang Distripark
- Labrador Park
- HarbourFrontHarbourFrontHarbourFront is a district situated in southern Singapore, within the Bukit Merah Planning Area. Harbourfront is also the gateway to Sentosa....
- VivoCityVivoCityVivoCity is the largest shopping mall in Singapore. Located in the HarbourFront precinct, it was designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Its name is derived from the word vivacity...