SINGAPORE: When it reopens in the first quarter of 2017, Bencoolen Street will have more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly features, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Nov 10).
Giving details of its “car-lite” plan for the street in a news release, LTA said there will be sheltered linkways from the Downtown Line 3’s new Bencoolen station to nearby facilities and developments, such as Hotel Rendezvous and Manulife Centre.
A new dedicated cycling path along Bencoolen Street will also connect Rochor Canal to the planned cycling route along the future North-South Corridor to the Central Business District, LTA said.
A total of 125 bicycle parking lots will be provided at various locations along the street, such as at the entrances of the new Bencoolen MRT station, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), V Hotel and Bayfront Hotel.
LTA will also collaborate with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, students and alumni from NAFA to design the benches that will line Bencoolen Street, “to inject a touch of creativity to the streetscape”, it said.
TRAFFIC ADJUSTMENTS IN BENCOOLEN AREA
As construction work for the Downtown Line 3’s Bencoolen station enters its final stage, there will be several traffic adjustments in the vicinity, LTA said.
Starting Sunday, all vehicles except for buses will not be allowed to turn left into Bras Basah Road from Bencoolen Street. “Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes if they are heading towards Bras Basah Road,” it said.
On the same day, Waterloo Street – currently a one-way street – will be converted to a two-way street and the direction of traffic for the stretch of Queen Street between Bras Basah Road and Stamford Road will be diverted to Bras Basah Road.
From Dec 11, a dedicated bus lane along Bencoolen Street between Middle Road and Bras Basah Road will help improve travel time, LTA said. Bus services 64, 65, 131, 139, 147, 166 and 857 will also be reinstated to ply the street.
With the reopening of Bencoolen Street, the stretch of Prinsep Street and Selegie Road between Bras Basah Road and Middle Road – which allowed traffic flow in two directions during the closure – will revert to a one-way street.
(Map: LTA)
