Traffic on the newly-opened Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) might have been fairly smooth on Sunday when it opened to the public, but it was a different story on Monday.
Travel was slow on several segments of the MCE and surrounding roads. Some motorists said they were stuck on the $4.3 billion expressway for nearly an hour, while some commuters were fuming over having to pay higher than usual taxi fares because they were stuck in jams linked to the expressway.
Common reasons cited for the slow traffic included unfamiliarity with how the MCE connects with other roads and expressways, as well as road signs that were not clear enough.
related:
MCE latest tips: LTA's New Year tweets on navigating the Marina Coastal Expressway better
MCE opening: Avoid using the expressway if you are heading east during the evening peak
MCE jams: LTA uses social media to address commuters' concerns
MCE: LTA to make adjustments to improve traffic
What caused the traffic snarls along the new Marina Coastal Expressway on Monday?
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LTA rebuts suggestions of possible design deficiencies in MCE
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has rebutted suggestions by some motorists and commentators that there were possible design deficiencies in the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE).
LTA said since the opening of the MCE on December 29, motorists have generally experienced smooth traffic conditions on the new expressway.
The exception is the morning of December 30, which was the first working day since the expressway was opened.
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MCE stands for….
When they built MCE, they thought that Money Comes Easily with more ERP gantries.
But they didn’t realise MCE would become a Massively Congested Expressway.
You know why MCE jam until like that? Because Ministers Cockup Everytime!
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Is MCE the Most Congested Expressway?
Our 10th Expressway was opened to the public on the 29th Dec 2013. It is the most expensive expressway costing more than $4 billion and the most difficult to build touted as a great engineering feat overcoming many difficulties. It’s supposed to be offer a seamless travel from the one end of the island to the other replacing the old proven ECP rendering our iconic Sheares Bridge and Rochor Link Road (coming down from Sheares to Rochor Rd) obsolete. Precious land could then be freed for more buildings thus raking in more billions to our reserves. That will compensate for the heavy MCE investment.
Well, it is supposed to be a great achievement having invested tons of money on MCE. Is that so? I’ve not tried the new MCE yet. But from the internet, it seems that every motorist and non-motorist (taking taxi costing much more) using the MCE is fuming with rage! What is happening to our Singapore brand of efficiency and careful calibration? It’s quite embarrassing really.
Some of the reasons to the spontaneous frustrations are elaborated below. Click on the links below to read. I need not go into the details.
Suffice to say that some of the confusing or teething problems could have been avoided. As usual why didn’t they anticipate them? More road signages, better painted directions on the lanes to direct the huge traffic to the correct exits. Common sense will also tell you that from 4 or 5 lanes narrow down to two-lane only exit at Fort Road will definitely result in massive jam when so much traffic trying to get out of the MCE via that slip road. Understandably, netizens are quick to point out that the MCE is “Massive or Most Congested Expressway!” We did not experience such issues on the other nine expressways.
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How to get around Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)
Our 10th Expressway, MCE (Marina Coastal Expressway) was completed and opened on the 29th December 2013. It is the widest expressway in Singapore (5 lanes each) and the most expensive to build.
However, for Singaporeans or people living in Singapore, MCE is about delays, congestion, stupidity of our government to even build it. I feel the pain too (after looking at their cab fares, hours to reach their destinations, unnecessary ERP gantry entries and re-entries).
It is also interesting to see the innovative side of Singapore, especially our country is filled with acronyms for everything. Now MCE becomes Massively Congested Expressway, Most Congested Expressway and etc.
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One More For The Road Ahead
Vying for the last blooper of the year - the other contender being the Downtown Line - the spanking new Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) won hands-down.
The breakdown of the new Downtown Line (DTL) on Friday 27 Dec was the second time DTL services have been disrupted since its official opening on 21 December 2013 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Purchased at a cost of $570 million the 73 DTL train sets were manufactured in Changchun, Jilin province, China. Operator SBS Transit is blaming a little girl for activating the detrainment door device and grinding the multimillion dollar system to a halt. They refused to release the incriminating CCTV footage, guarding it like a national security secret. They did admit that "the internal laminate of the metal cover which holds the detrainment door switch had debonded." Shoddy workmanship or quality assurance aside, the chap who signed off the acceptance inspection deserves the sack.
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All clear on the MCE
Let me venture a guess. It was typical of Sinkies to head for something new on the first day of the MCE’s operation. Everyone wanted to experience this new wonder. They may want to be the first on the MCE or get their names in the Guinness Book of Record for travelling on the first day in the most expensive expressway, and now with the added 3 hour jam to remember.
They must also be encouraged by news on how it would shorten travelling time plus the novelty, let the herd heading the same way. And the choke points on the surface roads only compounded the problem further. Maybe they should not have blow the trumpet so hard. This could be another reason for the big jam.
From my window the sun was bright and hazy as usual. In the distance, the surface road parallel to the MCE that was clogged up on Monday morning was a totally new sight to behold with traffic flowing smoothly like a miracle. The vehicles were staying about 50m apart. It is quite puzzling how on earth could the 3 hour jam could happen on the first working day of its operation and now everything is so smooth, with so few vehicles on the road.
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Changes to city roads to ease jams on Singapore's new Marina Coastal Expressway
Local media report that the LTA has moved to "immediately convert" the two-lane Central Boulevard stretch behind Marina Bay Financial Centre in order to "enable better traffic into and along Central Boulevard towards Shenton Way". It will also be posting more temporary signs to alert motorists of route network changes, and continue to deploy traffic wardens to assist drivers.]
In its first two days of opening, motorists in Singapore have had more than a few things to say about the country's new Marina Coastal Expressway -- not all of them positive.
Many took to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, posting about their experiences and confusion and warning other drivers to avoid veering toward it.
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Massively Congested Expressway
When the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) was opened to traffic on Sunday (29 Dec), many motorists expressed their disappointment and frustration at the heavy traffic jam clogging it up.
Costing $4.3 billion, MCE is Singapore’s newest and costliest expressway.
A netizen complained that the route suffers from jams and bottlenecks. In particular, he is upset that the ECP Changi exit is served by only two lanes – which he feels is insufficient to cope with the volume of traffic.
related:
Is MCE the Most Congested Expressway?
Is the Govt really losing money on $4.3B MCE?
Govt to make at least $54B from MCE project
Angry responses to Minister's MCE posting on FB
Lui: MCE traffic smoother Mon evening, Tue morning
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THE GOVERNMENT ULTIMATELY PROFITS FROM THE 'MASSIVELY CONGESTED EXPRESSWAY'
When the new Marina Coastal Expressway opened up on Sunday, it was met with a lot of negative reactions as long jams were experienced in and around the brand new tunnel.
The project which cost $4.3 Billion to construct was supposed to cut travel times for motorists but due to some poor planning and severe bottlenecks, it ended up causing motorists to be stuck in traffic jams for over an hour on the Monday morning after it opened.
When word of the new tunnel first got out, one of the first things that raised eyebrows was the massive price tag attached.
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DISASTROUS JAMS IN AND AROUND BRAND NEW $4.3BILLION MARINA COASTAL EXPRESSWAY
The new Marina Coastal Expressway opened up to the public on Sunday but due to a lack of signage and motorists unfamiliarity with the new highway, results have been disastrous.
Motorists took to social media to express their frustration with their experience on the new highway which cost $4.3Billion to construct. Many netizens posted photos online of the jams and wrote about how it multiplied their travel time to work.
During the Monday morning peak hour, traffic was backed up and at a complete standstill with many cars not able to move at all for 1 whole hour.
related: LTA: WE WILL MAKE 'ADJUSTMENTS' TO 'IMPROVE' MESSY TRAFFIC JAM AT MCE
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$4.3b expressway vs 18 “Kueh lapis”?
Costliest $4.3b expressway - It states that “Singapore’s 10th and costliest highway, on a per kilometre basis, will open on Sunday, December 29 at 9am.
The S$4.3 billion Marina Coastal Expressway will be connected to the Central Business District by interim roads”
What $4.3b can do for the needy? - To what extent will the lives of Singaporeans be better off by having this expressway, compared to what some of the $4.3 billion can do for poorer Singaporeans?
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Confusion and traffic chaos at S$4.3 billion Marina Coastal Expressway during Monday morning peak hour
Yahoo News Singapore, 30 Dec 2013
In its first two days of opening, motorists in Singapore have had more than a few things to say about the country's new Marina Coastal Expressway -- not all of them positive.
Many took to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, posting about their experiences and confusion and warning other drivers to avoid veering toward it.
Users such as Nick Goh, who commented on Yahoo Singapore's Facebook page, said their travel times from the Eastern part of Singapore to its central business district were multiplied several-fold, while others said road signs were not clear, with different speed limits on different sections of the highway
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Marina Coastal Expressway: What are the issues?
TOC took a cab ride on Monday, the second day that the new Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) was in operation. We drove around the MCE for 30 mins from both sides (to and back from city) and had a look at the bottlenecks of the highway.
Generally the expressway is pretty good with wide lanes and clear traffic signs. But as most drivers were still unfamiliar with the expressway, many were confused over which exit to use and had to either go another big round or to try to change lanes to their intended exit.
LTA said today it is putting up more signs because motorists complained that there were inadequate signs to direct them. With some missing road connections that used to be there and given that the GPS maps are not updated with the new highway, it is no surprise that most drivers were confused.
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