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Marina Coastal Expressway

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Marina Coastal Expressway
Lebuhraya Pantai Marina (Malay)
滨海高速公路 (Chinese)
மரினா கரையோர விரைவுச்சாலை (Tamil)
Marina Coastal Expressway is labelled in single orange line
Route information
Part of AH143
Length5 km (3.1 mi)
Existed2008–present
HistoryOpened on 29 December 2013
Major junctions
East endKallang (KPE, ECP)
Major intersectionsKPE, ECP, AYE
West endKeppel (AYE)
Location
CountrySingapore
RegionsMarina Bay, Kallang
Highway system

The Marina Coastal Expressway (Abbreviation: MCE) is the ninth of Singapore's network of expressways. Construction for the MCE began in 2008 and was completed at the end of 2013.[1][2] The expressway was officially opened on 28 December that year by Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo in the presence of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong,[3] and was opened for vehicular traffic the next day.[4][5]

Route

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The 5-kilometre (3.1-mile) MCE connects with the southern end of the Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and its junction with the East Coast Parkway (ECP) to the eastern end of the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE). This links the eastern and western parts of Singapore to the New Downtown, currently being developed in the Marina Bay area. The MCE, with five lanes in each direction, handles the large number of commuters to be drawn to the offices, homes and recreational attractions there. It opens access to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore in Marina South and the existing Marina South Pier.[2]

List of interchanges and exits

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Location[6]km[7]miFlyover[8]Exit[8]Destinations[8]Notes
Downtown Core0.00.0Keppel Viaduct— AYEWestern terminus; expressway continues as Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE)
0.00.0Keppel Viaduct1AKeppel RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
0.50.311Straits Boulevard, Shenton Way, Maxwell Road
Straits View1.00.62—2Central Boulevard, Marina Coastal Drive, Marina Gardens Drive, Rochor RoadSigned as Exits 2 (eastbound) and 3 (westbound)
Marina South2.51.63Marina Coastal Drive, Central Boulevard
Marina East4.42.7Marina Coastal Expressway Tunnel5Fort Road, ECP (towards Changi)Eastern terminus; expressway continues as Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

History

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A video of the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) taken from a car travelling in an east-to-west direction towards Tuas, from Exit 14B of the East Coast Parkway to where the MCE joins the Ayer Rajah Expressway

Plans to extend the KPE to join the AYE began on 9 March 2006 to relieve congestion of the East Coast Parkway, and would be called Marina Coastal Expressway. Feasibility studies were conducted for the new expressway, and then Transport Minister Raymond Lim later announced on 27 July 2007 that approval had been given for the construction of a new 5 km long Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) at a cost of $2.5 billion.[9][10] The expressway, which includes Singapore's first undersea tunnel, links the East Coast Parkway and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway to Marina South and Ayer Rajah Expressway and opened to traffic on 29 December 2013.[11][12]

The expressway comprises a 3.5-kilometre (2.2-mile) tunnel, while the rest are at grade or depressed, with a view of the Singapore Strait.[13] The tunnel includes a 420-metre (460-yard) stretch that travels under the seabed, 150 metres (160 yards) away from the Marina Barrage. This had posed particular engineering challenges in the tunnel construction as large amounts of water were let out from the barrage from time to time.[14] At its deepest point, the expressway lies about 20 metres (66 ft) under the seabed.[2]

The 5-kilometre (3.1-mile) long MCE is Singapore's most expensive expressway. On 28 April 2009, the Land Transport Authority revealed that it has awarded about S$4.1 billion worth of contracts, much more than the initial estimate of $2.5 billion.[15] The construction of the MCE also required undersea dredging. More than 22 hectares (54 acres) of land was reclaimed to build the MCE.[2] In contrast, the KPE, which is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) and has portions running under canals and rivers, cost only $1.74 billion.

After the MCE was opened, the segment of the ECP between Central Boulevard and Benjamin Sheares Bridge was downgraded to become Sheares Avenue. The segment of the ECP between the AYE and Central Boulevard was permanently demolished.[16]

The first few days of operations was plagued by heavy traffic congestion due to drivers' unfamiliarity with the expressway as well as connections with other roads and expressways. There was reportedly heavier than usual traffic, compared to using the old route via ECP, on 29 December 2013, the first day the MCE opened. The situation was exacerbated on the next day with the Monday morning peak hour traffic. However, the majority of drivers are aware of the road changes.[17][18]

On 28 September 2014, with the road changes in Marina South area, the Prince Edward Road exit was removed and was replaced by Straits Boulevard exit with the ERP gantry being relocated from Prince Edward Road to Straits Boulevard.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Construction of Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)". One.Motoring. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  3. ^ "Marina Coastal Expressway "toughest tunnelling project": Josephine Teo". Channel NewsAsia. 28 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Singapore's first undersea road - Marina Coastal Expressway - set to open on Dec 29". The Straits Times. 13 November 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  5. ^ Saifulbahri Ismail (29 December 2013). "Smooth-flowing traffic as Marina Coastal Expressway opens". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Master Plan". Urban Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  7. ^ "Downtown Core to Marina East" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  8. ^ a b c "OneMap" (Map). OneMap. Singapore: Singapore Land Authority. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Speech By Mr Raymond Lim At The Visit To LTA's Intelligent Transport Systems Centre (ITSC) on 27 July 2007". MOT. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Government Approves the Construction of MCE". LTA. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Marina expressway to be ready by year-end". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  12. ^ "Singapore's first undersea road—Marina Coastal Expressway—set to open on Dec 29". The Straits Times. 13 November 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Alignment Map for MCE" (PDF). One Motoring. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  14. ^ "Building Challenges". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  15. ^ "Marina Coastal Expressway Breaks Ground Today". Land Transport Authority. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  16. ^ "Features". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  17. ^ "Confusion, jams on Marina Coastal Expressway in Singapore". Yahoo News Singapore. 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  18. ^ "MCE gridlock last week due to drivers' unfamiliarity: Lui". Today. 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  19. ^ "New Roads in Marina South to Open from 28 September". Land Transport Authority.
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Media related to Marina Coastal Expressway at Wikimedia Commons

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