1. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will commence work for a vehicular viaduct along Cross Street on Sunday, 3 February 2008. When completed in the fourth quarter of 2008, the viaduct will serve to minimise the impact of DTL 1 construction works on traffic along Cross Street, which forms part of the Downtown Line (DTL) construction corridor.
2. As some lane closures are inevitable during the construction of the DTL, LTA is providing an alternative route to motorists by constructing the two-lane, 407 meter-long vehicular viaduct that will run along Cross Street from Raffles Quay to China Street, near Far East Square. There will be three vehicular up-ramps onto the viaduct, located at Central Boulevard, Raffles Quay and Robinson Road.
3. Motorists travelling on the viaduct to New Bridge Road will be able to by-pass the four busy traffic junctions at Raffles Quay, Robinson Road, Cecil Street and Telok Ayer Street, thus relieving traffic travelling at-grade along Cross Street.
4. In addition, roads on both sides of Cross Street have been widened to enable a lane-for-lane replacement during the construction of the DTL. This approach is in line with LTA's guiding principle of providing lane-for-lane replacement, when feasible, to minimise the impact on traffic during construction.
5. The two centre lanes along Cross Street will be closed for the construction of the viaduct. Similarly, one lane each will be closed at Raffles Quay and Robinson Road to enable construction of the viaduct's ramps.
6. As the viaduct serves to alleviate potential traffic congestion during the course of DTL construction works along Cross Street, the viaduct will be removed and roads reinstated upon the completion of DTL in 2013.
New traffic scheme to relieve traffic during construction of viaduct
7. To mitigate traffic congestion during the construction phase of the viaduct, a new traffic scheme will be implemented. The traffic scheme will be effective from Monday, 4 February 2008 to the fourth quarter of 2008, when the viaduct will be completed and open to motorists. (Please refer to Annex 1 for details of the new traffic scheme at Cross Street).
8. As part of this new scheme, traffic direction at Telegraph Street will be reversed. Traffic will move instead from Raffles Quay to Robinson Road. (Kindly refer to Annex 2 on traffic reversal at Telegraph Street).
9. Motorists who intend to park in AIA Building, Hong Leong Building or 6 Raffles Quay, travelling from Robinson Road will need to make a right turn into Finlayson Green and access Telegraph Street via Raffles Quay.
10. Motorists and pedestrians are advised to be cautious and to follow the directional signs on display.
Road diversion works
11. To facilitate the implementation of this new traffic scheme, road diversion works along Cross Street will be conducted from Saturday, 2 February 11.55pm and will be completed by Sunday, 3 February midnight.
Enclosures: