CR108 - Pasir Ris Drive 1 closure

 

1 October 2023 - A view of the section of roadway before closure.

The past several months at contract CR108 were focused on preparations for the big day where the section of Pasir Ris Drive 1 between the junctions with Pasir Ris Central/Street 51 & Pasir Ris Drive 8 would be closed. That day came on the 8th October 2023, a Sunday. Naturally, traffic would be quieter with less vehicles moving about. We visit the site to find out how residents & motorists were coping with the changes.

8 October 2023 - Day 1
Traffic appeared to be smooth overall. The build up within the lanes remaining open to facilitate the quick getaway exodus exit from Pasir Ris quickly dissipated with each cycle of the traffic lights. Meanwhile, for motorists entering Pasir Ris from either Tampines or the expressway named after the town, a bigger detour was in store for them. However, being a Sunday and in the morning, traffic coming in was a fair bit quieter.

Nonetheless, the buses-only right turn from Pasir Ris Drive 8 onto Pasir Ris Central had some drivers caught off guard. Not expecting a new turning to be opened, the auxiliary police officer deployed had to stop traffic several times as the cars barely stopped in time, upon realising that there was in fact a red traffic light at the junction.

8 October 2023 - A view of the section of roadway since closed & with 2 lanes remaining to
allow motorists to exit the town only. Traffic proceeding along the thoroughfare has to make
a detour and cannot use these 2 lanes to continue westwards.

8 October 2023

8 October 2023 - Heavy vehicles and machinery on the closed stretch
of roadway.

8 October 2023 - Internal driveways within Costa Ris development have been taken over to
facilitate construction work.

8 October 2023 - A covered linkway along Pasir Ris Central leading commuters from the bus stop
to the MRT station.

8 October 2023 - Traffic decking has been installed over the completed portion of diaphragm
walls and station box that will eventually house a transfer link with the new station.

8 October 2023 - The former passageway to allow commuters to link up with Pasir Ris Central
has since been closed off to the public.

8 October 2023 - A view of a relatively empty Pasir Ris Central detour route.

12 October 2023 - Day 5
The situation was a tad bit different today (as of the date of posting). As the visit to the site was in the evening, the traffic flow was heavier for vehicles entering the town. The lanes for exiting were far more shorter compared to those on the first day. Instead, everyone was coming in from Pasir Ris Drive 12 and heading towards Drive 3 due to the right-turn onto Pasir Ris Central being for buses only.

This actually poses a few issues that were noticed during the evening peak. Eastbound buses along Pasir Ris Drive 1 have an arduous task of cutting across the entire roadway to reach the right turn via the right-most lane of Pasir Ris Drive 8 when they enter from the left-most lane. During peak periods, this causes some build up as the buses have to wait for traffic to stop before they can enter the yellow box to access the turn.

Likewise, the lane markings for motorists entering Pasir Ris along Drive 8 can be confusing. A 3-lane roadway suddenly becomes a 2-lane roadway as the left-most lane is for vehicles turning left onto Pasir Ris Street 53. Drivers who are not alert may also be caught in the junction when it turns red as they had expected traffic to move or clear, allowing them sufficient time to clear the yellow box. Unfortunately for some, this was not the case due to the traffic build up between the junctions, the sudden change in lane directions forcing everyone to merge into the middle lane and buses waiting to turn right.

12 October 2023 - A view of the closed section of roadway with the remaining lanes for exiting
the town.

12 October 2023

12 October 2023 - A view at street level of the closed roadway section.

12 October 2023

12 October 2023 - Traffic along Pasir Ris Drive 8 heading out of Pasir Ris town.

12 October 2023 - A view along a very much deserted Pasir Ris Central.

The road diversion and its alternate routes are all very new to motorists who are still acclimatising to the new changes. With time, we are certain that drivers will become more familiar with the amendments to the road system and that the situation will stabilise. Perhaps though, certain measures such as a bus-signal can be implemented to allow buses sufficient time to clear the junction and cut right across to access Pasir Ris Central without causing further congestion to other road vehicles.

This post will also be available on Instagram & Facebook on 13 October 2023.