I am curious to know if the LTA has any plan to convert the entire Outer Ring Road System (ORRS) into an expressway similar to other ring roads in Beijing or KL? The ORRS is important because it enables the motorists to travel from east to west and vice versa without going through the CBD.

Currently the ORRS from Bartley to AYE is almost like a semi-expressway. But from Bartley to ECP is still not as smooth yet.

I am curious to know if the LTA has any plan to convert the entire Outer Ring Road System (ORRS) into an expressway similar to other ring roads in Beijing or KL? The ORRS is important because it enables the motorists to travel from east to west and vice versa without going through the CBD.

Currently the ORRS from Bartley to AYE is almost like a semi-expressway. But from Bartley to ECP is still not as smooth yet.

The Upper Paya Lebar underpass is having contractor problem. So it affects the smooth travel between Bartley and ECP.

At Thomson/Lornie/Braddell flyover to bypass the junction is currently under construction - first flyover to be built over the existing flyover!

ORSS has series of underpasses and flyovers to bypass traffic - can be considered semi expressway. I don't think it will convert to full expressway.

there are a few traffic lights along bartley road and i think adam road too

there are a few traffic lights along bartley road and i think adam road too

There are many traffic road junctions between Hougang Ave 3 all the way to Still Road which is connected to the ECP. I am wondering if the LTA will build viaducts or underground bypasses along these junctions?

The main objective of the Outer Ring Rd is to basically provide a bypass, giving the west, east and central regions an alternative to expressways which may actually be too inconvenient.

There is simply no need for it to become an expressway. It is not designed to link commuters to the expressways (KPE, PIE, CTE, AYE, ECP) but a general link to the respective regions.

Anyway there are stumbling blocks to becoming an expressway. Like mentioned, traffic lights along Bartley Road, Adam Road, just before the slipway into AYE, Farrer Road Rd estate, Still Road, the eastern region which are too important and cannot be moved or bypassed.

I guess it will simply just remain an arterial road.

Anyway, many of the world's city's Ring Roads including Beijing are purpose-built expressways with the exception of the one surrounding the Beijing old city, and were not converted from existing roads.

I am curious to know if the LTA has any plan to convert the entire Outer Ring Road System (ORRS) into an expressway similar to other ring roads in Beijing or KL? The ORRS is important because it enables the motorists to travel from east to west and vice versa without going through the CBD.

Currently the ORRS from Bartley to AYE is almost like a semi-expressway. But from Bartley to ECP is still not as smooth yet.
As some parts along the full length of the ORR are not designed to support speeds of 80km/h, it will not become an expressway. Also there are additional considerations for an expressway like shoulder and emergency services which is not possible given that there isn't much land available for conversion. Instead it will be a semi-expressway. In fact, certain regions still suffer from congestions and narrow two-lane stretches which make it impossible.

There are many traffic road junctions between Hougang Ave 3 all the way to Still Road which is connected to the ECP. I am wondering if the LTA will build viaducts or underground bypasses along these junctions?

I believe LTA has been looking into this last section. :)

I believe LTA has been looking into this last section. :)

I hope they can try their bestest best to avoid affecting heritage buildings, which tend to be found on city fringes :-)

I believe it'll be underpasses again for Hougang Eunos stretch, if it ever happens.

When the Marina Costal Expressway is ready, the ORRS will look more like a "ring"

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6312/singaporeorrs1.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/singaporeorrs1.jpg/)

And while we're at that, there's SURS. :lol:

there are a few traffic lights along bartley road and i think adam road too

You can go from Thomson (outside Mt Alvernia) to Commonwealth in less than 10 mins if the traffic is smooth.

yep! very nice to travel on

Here is an artcle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Ring_Road_System) on Wikipedia about ORRS.

And while we're at that, there's SURS. :lol:

According to the latest LTA Master Plan, The Singapore Underground Ring System (SURS) will have two concentric rings of 15 KM each. They will encircle the city centre like many ring roads in the world. The only difference is that this will be an entire underground ring road system.

Lornie Viaduct opens this Sunday


Sat, Aug 23, 2008
Straits Times


Work on the $34 million Lornie Viaduct started at end-2004. Singapore's newest and highest elevated road which links Braddell Road and Lornie Road, opens on Sunday, and motorists can now use it to bypass another busy traffic interchange. Motorists can travel from Bartley Road to Queensway - a distance spanning some 17km - with only one interruption: traffic lights near the Singapore Island Country Club on Lornie Road.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Ms Lim Hwee Hua, who officiated at its opening ceremony on Saturday, described the opening of the viaduct as another step towards completing the $400 million Outer Ring Road System (ORRS).

The ORRS forms a circle along the outer areas of the city, and will eventually provide a non-stop link between Marine Parade and Queenstown.

they need to build an underpass for that remaining junction.

That one is hard, and I don't think they will rectify it. Especially because the PIE is too near.

There are still many traffic light junctions from Bartley to Marine Parade via Hougang Avenue 3 and Still Road. These parts of the ORRS will be the last to complete before we can have a non-stop journey between Marine Parade and Queenstown.

Not to mention the junction between Queensway and the link to the AYE as well. Depending on your direction of travel, there is another signalised junction along Farrer Road with Empress Road, or something similar, in the direction of Adam Road.

haha..news report up today that the road is more jam becoz of teh new viaduct.....

Lornie's jams are quite bad during rush hour...

Not to mention the junction between Queensway and the link to the AYE as well. Depending on your direction of travel, there is another signalised junction along Farrer Road with Empress Road, or something similar, in the direction of Adam Road.

yes. that area where the Farrer CCL Station is currently being built is a bottleneck for the traffic. The jam always happens here (even during off peak) coz vehicles tend to go really slow here due to the winding and narrow road. I hope things will get better when the station is complete.

With the opening Bartley Viaduct today, a piece of the Singapore Outer Ring Road System is now completed. Eventually, the Singapore ORRS will be a 38 km ring road that encircles the city centre of Singapore.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6312/singaporeorrs1.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/singaporeorrs1.jpg/)

with traffic lights....

^^ If I'm not wrong, the ORR only has a few places where there are actually traffic lights from AYE to ECP.

Personally, I think it's time for LTA to brand these roads as "part of the ORR" or something... you know, list down the next "exits", have signs as if it were an expressway. Like how the dotted Circle Line on current MRT maps is slowly but surely getting commuters aware of the CCL's potential when it's finally done, I think proper signs can potentially get drivers used to the idea that there's actually a ring road and they can use it to bypass the city, or even bypass jammed expressways.

with traffic lights....If the traffic lights are synchronized properly, then they shouldn't be too much of a problem. I would hope all pedestrian crossings are either overhead or underground.

If the traffic lights are synchronized properly, then they shouldn't be too much of a problem.
It is generally not possible to synchronize traffic lights for both directions of traffic. They can be synchronized for clockwise or anti-clockwise traffic, but not for both.
I would hope all pedestrian crossings are either overhead or underground.
Yes, off-grade pedestrian crossings are a big win.

One possible approach toward eliminating the remaining signals would be to not allow cross traffic at-grade. In other words, to not allow right turns. I'm not advocating this as the best solution, just pointing out that it is an option.

IMO, off-grade pedestrian crossings will not work well and will end up pedestrian unfriendly if you opt for an easy solution such as a simple overhead bridge. The best example is Woodlands Ave 5. Vertical circulation such as escalators would ensure more frequent use for standalone bridges, and integration with level2/3 on surrounding buildings will be even better.

In the case of Still Road. The success of the ORRS working even without grade separation is saved by the fact that the Joo Chiat/Koon Seng area and Eunos HDB estate, are quite separate culturally and functionally from Telok Kurau and Kembangan respectively, with majority of crossing pedestrians limited to bus commuters. And further up north the industrial areas should have much issue. So that leaves only the Ubi/Kaki Bukit link and the Marine Parade side that some innovative pedestrian linkage could be provided.

IMO, off-grade pedestrian crossings will not work well and will end up pedestrian unfriendly if you opt for an easy solution such as a simple overhead bridge. The best example is Woodlands Ave 5. Vertical circulation such as escalators would ensure more frequent use for standalone bridges, and integration with level2/3 on surrounding buildings will be even better.

Increasingly, I think more should be done to enhance the pedestrian-friendliness of the overhead bridges, especially for the elderly. Either by means of ramps or even escalators. Ideally these should be catered for and planned as the norm from the outset, to prevent recurrent works downstream.

LTA announced on Monday that a dual 4-lane road will be built along Lornie Road in Bukit Brown. This 2-km road will form a part of the ORRS.

http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=rj2i4o1u3d7018466v86y82epxjj32mwbvnhu6rpwt8lplkgo6

^^ I think this was announced before in another thread. Thanks anyway for the update. :)