Roads in Tanglin, Dawson to be extended, widened for developments

A slew of road improvements in the Tanglin and Dawson Road area, including a new 1.2km road extension and the widening of several roads, is in the works to meet an anticipated increase in traffic demand and improve access to future developments.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) called a tender on Oct 30 for the design and construction of the road improvements. The tender will close on Dec 27.

The enhancements are:

• A 1.2km extension of Kay Siang Road to Queensway.
• The widening of an existing section of Kay Siang Road and Tanglin Road – between Margaret Drive and Kay Siang Road – from one lane in each direction to two lanes in each direction.
• 2.2km of cycling paths along the extended Kay Siang Road, stretches of Tanglin Road, as well as at the junction of Margaret Drive and Tanglin Road, which connects to the Alexandra Park Connector.
• Three new bus stops and the relocation of eight existing bus stops.

LTA told The Straits Times on Nov 8 that there are no cycling paths along Kay Siang Road and Tanglin Road now.

Work on the improvements is slated to start in mid-2025 and be completed by end-2028.

Some of the newer developments in the area include Housing Board projects SkyOasis@Dawson and SkyParc@Dawson, which were completed in 2021.

Also in the vicinity is a 9,522.3 sq m plot in Margaret.

The 10 residents ST spoke to were divided on whether the planned improvements would improve congestion in Margaret Drive, which a number said they often experience.

Some welcomed them, saying they could alleviate the most persistent congestion at the junction of Margaret Drive and Queensway.

SkyTerrace@Dawson resident Goh Khai Hong, 30, said the Kay Siang Road extension would be good, as it would give vehicles another exit into Queensway, in addition to Margaret Drive.

The cyber-security engineer avoids driving through Margaret Drive to get to Queensway because it is “hard” to merge into the fast-moving traffic throughout the day.

He added that the widening of Tanglin Road may also ease traffic build-up from buses calling at bus stops, as cars will now have a lane to pass the buses.

Ms Chloe Tan, 60, who also lives in SkyTerrace@Dawson, added that Margaret Drive is “very narrow”, so residents living in the developments closer to Queensway – including SkyOasis@Dawson – need other options to exit the area, which the extension could provide.

“Why didn’t the Government do this earlier before it built the flats? If it was planning an influx of residents, it’s quite obvious a two-lane road (on Margaret Drive) wasn’t sufficient,” she added.

Even so, the part-time media executive questioned the effectiveness of the upcoming extension of Kay Siang Road, saying it does not address the root problem where vehicles cannot merge into traffic along Queensway easily.

She also questioned the widening of Kay Siang Road and Tanglin Road, a stretch that has relatively little traffic, since residents there can already exit to Alexandra Road from either Dawson Road or Kay Siang Road.

SkyOasis@Dawson resident Elakkiya Meganathan, 38, welcomed the prospect of having Kay Siang Road as an alternative route towards Queensway, which may speed up bus travel along Margaret Drive.

The housewife hopes to see more pedestrian crossings created on Margaret Drive, which has few crossings for her six- and 16-year-old sons to take, to get across the road safely to Queenstown Public Library.

On the new cycling paths, Mr Ong Jia Cheng, a Tanglin Halt resident, said he would still prefer cycling along Alexandra Canal Linear Park where he needs to stop for traffic only twice, instead of the new paths, which could require him to wait at up to five traffic lights. He added that the park environment is “much more pleasant” than cycling by the road.

The 22-year-old undergraduate said it is still not possible to travel from Queenstown to Orchard “comfortably” via the new cycling paths, which do not provide direct or continuous connections.

Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Eric Chua, who oversees the Queenstown division, said these enhancements in and around the Margaret Drive estate will improve connectivity to major expressways such as the Ayer Rajah and Pan-Island expressways.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth added that the improvements could also alleviate existing points of congestion, including at the junction where vehicles turn out from Margaret Drive onto Queensway, an issue that residents have raised.

“The proposed enhancements would be welcomed by residents,” said Mr Chua, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development.

• Additional reporting by Fatmah Khan