Marina Coastal Expressway

The Marina Coastal Expressway (Abbreviation: MCE) is the tenth 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]

Marina Coastal Expressway
Lebuhraya Pantai Marina
滨海高速公路
மரினா கரையோர விரைவுச்சாலை
Marina Coastal Expressway is labelled in single orange line
Route information
Part of
Length5 km (3 mi)
Existed2008–present
HistoryOpened on 29 December 2013
Major junctions
East endKallang (KPE, ECP)
 KPE, ECP, AYE
West endKeppel (AYE)
Location
RegionsMarina Bay, Kallang
Highway system
Expressways of Singapore

Route

The 5-kilometre (3.1-mile) MCE connects with the southern end of the KPE and its junction with the ECP to the eastern end of 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]

Bus services 30, 30e, 522, 523, 538, 539, 545, 553, 566, 569, 584, 621, 661, 672, 736, 763, 767, 783 and Tanjong Rhu to Raffles Place/Suntec City Premium Service are the only buses to use the expressway following amendments to its route.

List of Exits
No. Eastbound exit to road (destinations) No. Westbound exit to road (destinations)
Start of expressway (AYE) End of expressway (AYE)
No Exit 1A Keppel Road
No Exit 1B Shenton Way, Maxwell Road
Start of MCE Tunnel
2 Central Boulevard, Marina Coastal Drive, Marina Gardens Drive, Rochor Road No Exit
No Exit 3 Marina Coastal Drive, Central Boulevard
4 Future Exit to Marina East Drive No Exit
5 Fort Road, ECP (Changi) No Exit
End of expressway (KPE)
Start of expressway (KPE)

History

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.[6][7] 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 29 December 2013.[8][9]

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

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. Since June 2014, the Marina Coastal Expressway became the anchor road from the west to the east.[14][15]

On 28 September that year, 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.[16]

References
  1. "Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  2. "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. "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.
  7. "Government Approves the Construction of MCE". LTA. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  8. "Marina expressway to be ready by year-end". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  9. "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.
  10. "Alignment Map for MCE" (PDF). One Motoring. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  11. "Building Challenges". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  12. "Marina Coastal Expressway Breaks Ground Today". Land Transport Authority. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  13. "Features". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  14. "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.
  15. "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.
  16. "New Roads in Marina South to Open from 28 September". Land Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.

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