Good morning, ladies and gentlemen

1          Just three years ago, many of us thought that this Extension of Queensway to Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) would not open on time.  Some of you may be wondering what I’m referring to.  Well, the slight delay in our project then was because of a little restaurant called the “Colbar” – the rustic bohemian hangout along Portsdown Road.

2          For many years, the Colbar had become a gathering place for those living in the vicinity to drop by for a simple meal, a good chat with their friends, or simply for a jug of ice-cold beer.  When we broke the news that the Colbar building had to be demolished to make way for the construction of the Queensway Extension, many members of the public were understandably far from thrilled.  For these people, it meant that one of the few remaining relics that symbolised the old Singapore were to be torn down in the name of progress.  There was a brief stalemate.  But eventually, things turned out well.  LTA and JTC took the people’s sentiments to heart, and through their joint efforts, managed to relocate the Colbar to another spot within the same locale just 150m away.  This helped to preserve the essence of this eatery while allowing LTA to continue with this much-needed road project. I congratulate both LTA and JTC for their efforts in achieving a happy outcome which meets the aspirations of the local community while serving the transportation needs of the wider public.  

3          I am therefore very glad to be here this morning to open these two new major road improvement projects – the Extension of Queensway to Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), now to be called the Portsdown Flyover[1] and the Queensway Flyover[2].  The linkage to the AYE will be welcomed by many motorists and other road users, as it will ease the congestion along Queensway as well as provide easy access to the AYE. 

Extension of Queensway to Ayer Rajah Expressway – Benefits

4          Those living on either side of the AYE will be the biggest beneficiaries.  For example, residents living in the Queenstown and Tanglin Halt area will now have a direct connection to the AYE.  Previously, they had to pass through the heavily used Queensway/Jalan Bukit Merah/Alexandra Road junction to reach the AYE.  Similarly, their neighbours living on the opposite side of the AYE, such as residents of Normanton Park, will now have a direct route to Queensway, instead of having to make a long detour to get to the opposite direction of the AYE and travelling all the way to Alexandra Road before connecting back to Queensway.  With these extensions, not only will travel times for motorists improve, but also will traffic conditions at the Bukit Merah junction be expected to improve.

Outer Ring Road System

5          In addition, the completion of this extension from Queensway to the AYE marks another significant step forward in the development of our road network, taking us another step closer to the completion of the Outer Ring Road System.

6          The Outer Ring Road System is a network of major roads that forms a ring around the outer areas of the city – from Queensway, Farrer Road, Adam Road, Lornie Road, Braddell Road to Bartley Road, and later on, to Eunos Link and Still Road. This ring road is strategic to the development of our road transport network. It serves to connect the expressways and major arterial roads and will help to distribute traffic effectively from one major traffic route to another. It also provides an alternative route to using the expressways for motorists travelling east-west and helps to relieve the heavy traffic conditions on roads leading into the city.  Ongoing projects that will be part of this Outer Ring Road System include the extension of Bartley Road to Airport Road and the interchange at Braddell Road, Thomson Road and Lornie Road.  

Queensway Underpass – Benefits

7          Besides what I have mentioned so far, there is yet another piece of good news for motorists and residents in this vicinity.  This is because LTA has also completed the vehicular underpass at the Queensway/Commonwealth Avenue Interchange.  Called the Queensway Underpass, it will allow motorists to bypass the traffic light junction at Queensway and Commonwealth Avenue while travelling along Queensway.  This will divert the main traffic flow along Queensway to the underpass, thereby improving traffic conditions at the signalised junction.

In Partnership with the Community

8          During the course of any road construction, it is inevitable that residents are exposed to noise, dust and inconveniences due to the construction work and its accompanying road diversions. The residents have been most cooperative and tolerant, and on behalf of LTA, I would like to express my thanks to the residents and the grassroots organisations from Queenstown and Telok Blangah Constituencies for their understanding and cooperation.

 9          On this note, I am now pleased to declare Portsdown Flyover, Queensway Flyover and Queensway Underpass open.

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