Existed: 1989 – present Length 15.8 km Major cities Singapore | South end: Bukit Merah (AYE) Constructed 1989 | |
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History: First section opened 1989-06-17,
last section opened 1991-09-21 North end: Yio Chu Kang (SLE, TPE) Regions: Seletar, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon, Kallang, Bishan, Toa Payoh, Central Area, Bukit Merah | ||
The Central Expressway (Abbreviation: CTE) in Singapore is the major highway connecting the city centre of Singapore with the northern residential parts of the island, including Toa Payoh, Bishan and Ang Mo Kio and further onwards to the Seletar Expressway and the Tampines Expressway.
Contents
Map of CTE, Singapore
As from 29 December 2013, SLE and CTE are the only expressways in Singapore which are linked together.
History
The first stage of the expressway began as two separate parts: one from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to PIE, which was opened on 31 August 1983, followed by an extension to Thomson Road on 18 May 1985 and to Seletar to Bukit Timah Road (next to Cavenagh Road), which was opened on 17 June 1989 and the second from Chin Swee Road in Chinatown to the Ayer Rajah Expressway in Radin Mas. The second stage of the expressway also involved the construction of the two tunnels, the north tunnel being 700 m (766 yards) long and the south tunnel being 1.7 km (1.06 miles) long, that travel underneath previously built-up areas, including the Singapore River, Fort Canning Park and Orchard Road. This stretch was opened on 21 September 1991. Construction required the acquisition of several roads and diversion on 28 September 1986 -
The CTE tunnels were the only underground roads in Singapore until the Fort Canning Tunnel was opened on 16 January 2007 and the only expressway with tunnels until the second stretch of the Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway were opened on 26 October 2007.
As it is the only expressway to connect the city and the northern residential areas, it is more prone to congestion than the other expressways in Singapore. In the latest attempt to relieve congestion, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on 27 May 2005 that with effect from 1 August 2005, Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) operation hours for the CTE will be extended into the evening, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is the first time that evening ERP hours were introduced for a Singapore road.
A section of the CTE passes under the Singapore River, causing significant water seepage problems. Despite the LTA plugging nearly 2000 leaks and spending "millions", on 9 May 2007, chunks of concrete fell from the ceiling of the south-bound tunnel. There were no injuries.