The southbound Lornie Highway – better known as Bukit Brown Road – is meant to cater to increasing traffic demand when the Bukit Brown area is redeveloped into a housing estate from 2030.
The first stretch of Bukit Brown Road has been delayed, so motorists will have to bear with the ongoing construction along Lornie Road – one of the busiest roads here – for a couple more months.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Sept 13) that the southbound Lornie Highway– better known as Bukit Brown Road– will be completed only in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Bukit Brown Road, which has been delayed three times already, is meant to cater to increasing traffic demand when the Bukit Brown area is redeveloped into a housing estate from 2030.
The latest delay was reported by Lianhe Zaobao on Thursday.
Giving an update, an LTA spokesman said the southbound Lornie Highway “is expected to open to traffic in the fourth quarter of 2018”.
This section was last slated to be completed by this quarter.
The LTA did not give a reason for the latest delay but said the entire road will still be ready by the first quarter of next year.
The Bukit Brown Road project was announced in 2011 and was first slated to be completed by mid-2016, and then end-2017, and then in two phases from the third quarter of this year.
The LTA added that it will continue to communicate with residents who are affected by the project.
The Bukit Brown Road project was mired in controversy when green and heritage lobbyists protested that it involved destroying a swathe of nature as well as historical graves dating back more than 150 years.
In their defence, the authorities said several other options were considered, but running the new road through Bukit Brown was the best. As a concession, part of the road going through the forested area will be elevated to preserve the fauna and flora.
When completed, the dual four-lane carriageway will bypass the recently upgraded Lornie Road, which will then be downgraded to a dual two-lane carriageway with cycling and pedestrian facilities.
