ROAD NETWORK

ROAD NETWORK

23.

Dr Geh Min asked the Minister for Transport what factors are considered when the Land Transport Authority attempts to achieve a balance between a shorter travelling time and the protection of trees, green areas, heritage or iconic sites and other landmarks.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: LTA carries out the planning of our transport infrastructure in consultation with various agencies, such as URA, NParks and HDB. The objective is to map out a road network that supports both the immediate and long term development plans of Singapore.

In the design of the road infrastructure, it takes into account various land use and environmental considerations, including green areas and heritage sites. Where a corridor is already built up or where the environmental impact is deemed unacceptable, LTA will study the feasibility of putting a road underground despite the higher construction and operating costs of doing so. For example, the Kallang Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), which is currently being constructed, will be largely underground.

In implementing the various road projects, LTA also works closely with NParks to avoid the cutting of trees as far as possible. One example is the widening of Loyang Avenue from Loyang Way to Changi Village Road. To preserve the trees along this stretch, LTA innovatively designed the dual-two carriage ways to run on either side of the heritage trees, so that the trees, which used to flank one side of the dual-one road, now sit on the new centre median of the widened dual-two road.

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