West Coast Highway, Singapore

West Coast Highway (Chinese: 西海岸大路; Malay: "Lebuhraya Pantai Barat") is a major arterial road in Singapore which links Jurong industrial estate and Clementi New Town to the city. It is an at-grade road from its junction with Pandan Loop and West Coast Road to its interchange with Pasir Panjang Road, where it becomes a grade-separated viaduct; the viaduct merges with Keppel Road before its interchange with Ayer Rajah Expressway. 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 is less than that of an expressway. The highway also has a traffic light junction at its intersection with Clementi Road, something that expressways do not have. The at-grade section of the highway is a three-lane dual carriageway, 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 Singaporecite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1536 | title = West Coast Highway extension opens to traffic | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | publisher = Land Transport Authority] .

Extension

The Land Transport Authority 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 [cite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=179 | title = Expansion of junction at Clementi Road/West Coast Highway | accessdate = | publisher = ] . 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 [cite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=472 | title = Opening of semi-expressway at Telok Blangah Road (phase 1) | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | publisher = Land Transport Authority] .

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 [cite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1260 | title = Termination of the employment of contractor for the upgrading of Telok Blangah Road and Pasir Panjang Road | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | publisher = Land Transport Authority] . On 1 August 2005, LTA awarded the contract to Gammon [cite news | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/161006/1/.html | title = LTA appoints Gammon to complete upgrading works at Telok Blangah Road | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | date = 2005-08-01 | publisher = Channel NewsAsia] [cite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=1319 | title = Award of contract for upgrading of Telok Blangah Road and Pasir Panjang Road to Gammon Pte Ltd | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | publisher = Land Transport Authority] , 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 [cite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_new_content.asp?start=87 | title = Opening of West Coast Highway extension and upgraded roads | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | publisher = Land Transport Authority] , with the then Minister for Transport Yeo Cheow Tong officiating; it was opened to traffic on 26 March 2006 [cite news | url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/199823/1/.html | title = West Coast Highway extension open to traffic on Sunday | date = 2006-03-25 | publisher = Channel NewsAsia] .

At the same time, the intersection of the highway with Jalan Buroh was converted from a box junction 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 [cite web | url = http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=353 | title = Expansion of West Coast Highway/Jalan Buroh junction and upgrading of bridge across Pandan River | accessdate = 2006-04-06 | publisher = Land Transport Authority] .

Viaduct entrances and exits

There are 2 entry ramps for the entire viaduct travelling towards the city — one at its start before the junction with Pasir Panjang Road, and another after the junction with Morse Road, near Henderson Road. Thus, city-bound motorists who miss the entry ramp at Pasir Panjang will have to travel for another 2.4 km — half the length of the viaduct — before they can get onto it at Morse Road. There are 2 exit ramps — a U-shaped one just before Kampong Bahru Road, intended for vehicles going to the Keppel and Pulau Brani container terminals, and the other one after Kampong Bahru Road, where the viaduct merges with Keppel Road.

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 Park
* Haw Par Villa
* Pasir Panjang container terminal and Pasir Panjang Distripark
* Labrador Park
* HarbourFront

References

See also

*Expressways of Singapore
*Outer Ring Road System
*Nicoll Highway

External links

* [http://app.sprinter.gov.sg/data/pr/20060325998.htm Text of speech given by Yeo Cheow Tong at the opening ceremony of the West Coast Highway extension]