LTA announces finalised alignment for Bukit Brown road project

Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 19 Mar 12;

SINGAPORE: The new road that will cut across Bukit Brown Cemetery will feature a vehicular bridge for nearly a third of the way.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) released the finalised alignment of the road on Monday.

LTA said the 670-metre bridge will go over existing creeks to minimise the impact on the biodiversity in the area.

LTA added that fewer graves will be affected than earlier estimates, following the completion of grave identification works.

In all, a total of 3,746 graves will be removed for the new dual four-lane road.

This is lower than the earlier estimate of 5,000 graves.

Despite several consultations in the past six months, civic groups are still unhappy and have continued to raise concerns over the road alignment.

Dr Ho Hua Chew, an executive committee member from the Nature Society Singapore, said: "A lot of forest birds can be badly affected. If it's under shadow (of the bridge), the vegetation will not flourish."

The authorities have also commissioned the documentation of the affected graves. A team will note family histories, stories and memories associated with the cemetery.

The full list of affected graves will be published in the newspapers and will also be available on LTA's webpage.

Next-of-kin can register their claims from March 20. Public exhumation works have also been pushed back by three months to the first quarter of 2013 to allow more time for claims to be made.

Heritage groups meanwhile would like documentation to be extended to other graves, before the area makes way for public housing in 20 years.

'Minimal impact' to Bukit Brown surrounding
Sumita Sreedharan Today Online 20 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE - The new road across Bukit Brown Cemetery will feature a vehicular bridge that will run for nearly a third of its 2km length, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as it announced the road's final alignment yesterday.

The 670m vehicular bridge, which will run over existing creeks in the area, will minimise "impact to the existing terrain and surrounding environment", while allowing for wildlife movement under it.

The construction of the new road will also see less graves being exhumed. A total of 3,746 graves from Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries will be affected, less than the 5,000 originally expected.

Next-of-kin of graves affected by the construction have till the end of this year to register their claim before exhumation begins in early 2013. A full list of affected graves will be published in the newspapers and on the LTA website, and next-of-kin can register with the LTA by post, fax, online, or in person.

In arriving at its final alignment, the LTA said yesterday it "minimises land take in the area and impact to the existing terrain and surrounding environment".

First announced in September, the new dual four-lane road is expected to alleviate the congestion currently experienced along Lornie Road and the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) during peak hours and cater to expected growth in traffic. Lornie Road will also be converted to a dual two-lane road with the extra area to be used as a park.

Despite several consultations over the past six months, some civic groups continued to raise concerns over the road alignment yesterday. Dr Ho Hua Chew, who is an executive committee member at the Nature Society Singapore, told Channel NewsAsia: "A lot of forest birds can be badly affected. If it's under shadow, the vegetation will not flourish."

Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin, who chaired a briefing and discussion with groups on the road last night, said the decision to proceed with construction has understandably "caused disappointment to those who want to conserve Bukit Brown". "I want to give assurance to those who have been giving us their views on this matter that the decision has not been an easy one," Mr Tan wrote on his Facebook page. "While we have not been able to fully accommodate their wishes, we have taken many of their views into consideration."

For instance, he noted the decision to embark on a serious documentation of the affected graves was a result of advice received from the heritage society. The LTA has also factored in feedback in its design of the road to minimise impact to the cemetery, hydrology and biodiversity, said Mr Tan. "Going forward, we need to continue with these conversations ... For example, we are now looking at working with interested stakeholders on public outreach to commemorate the history and heritage of Bukit Brown even as we continue with work on documentation."

When asked if the vehicular bridge would impact the cost of building the new road, an LTA spokesperson said: "Tenders have not been called at this point and the project cost will only be available after the tender is awarded." Construction of the road is expected to complete by 2016.

Decision to construct road at Bukit Brown wasn't easy: Tan Chuan-Jin
Hetty Musfirah Channel NewsAsia 19 Mar 12;

SINGAPORE: Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin said the decision to construct the road at Bukit Brown cemetery has not been an easy one.

Writing in his Facebook page after a discussion with stakeholders on Monday evening, Mr Tan said it is understandable that the decision to proceed with the construction has caused disappointment to those who want to conserve Bukit Brown.

While authorities have not been able to fully accommodate all wishes, many of the views have been taken into consideration.

For instance, the decision to embark on a serious documentation of the affected graves was a result of advice received from the Heritage Society.

He said the Land Transport Authority had also factored in feedback in its design of the road to minimise impact to the cemetery.

Mr Tan said as documentation work on the cemetery continues, authorities are also working with interested stakeholders on public outreach to commemorate the history and heritage of Bukit Brown.

- CNA/fa

Green path for new Bukit Brown road
Eco-bridge will be built to reduce impact on nature and graves
Christopher Tan Straits Times 20 Mar 12;

IN WHAT some observers see as a concession to various interest groups, the Government yesterday announced that one-third of a controversial new road across Bukit Brown will be a bridge up to 10m off the ground.

This is expected to cost up to three times more than a surface road, but the option will benefit fauna in the wooded area, the site of an old cemetery.

The bridge will also mean slightly fewer graves will be affected by the road works, although the Land Transport Authority (LTA) cannot pinpoint the exact number of graves saved because of this.

All in, 3,746 graves will have to be exhumed from early next year. The LTA had initially estimated 5,000 would have to go when the road project was announced last year.

Giving its finalised plans for the dual four-lane carriageway that will bypass Lornie Road, the LTA said that it decided on something 'that minimises... impact to the existing terrain and surrounding environment'.

A 600m centre portion of the 2km road will be a bridge. The LTA explained that this was because of the undulating landscape consisting of 'several hillocks... and creeks'.

It said a bridge will maintain an 'eco-linkage' under the structure, and wildlife in the area can 'continue to traverse between both sides of the road'. Existing streams will also be preserved.

Experts said, however, that the most economical and efficient method to build a road in such an environment would be to use what is known as 'cut and fill', which is basically excavating soil from hilly terrain in the area to fill up lower ground so that the entire area is flat.

Mr Rajan Krishnan, senior vice-president (Asia) of infrastructural group Parsons Brinckerhoff, said building a bridge would cost 'at least 21/2 times' more than building a surface road as it would involve piling and added structures such as piers.

Mr Joshua Ong, vice-president of engineering consultancy Jurong Consultants, said: 'A cut-and-fill method would be the cheapest and most optimal solution. An elevated road will cost two to three times more.'

Nature Society (Singapore) president Shawn Lum told The Straits Times earlier yesterday that he was 'heartened' by the news. 'No road would have been best, but if there was going to be a road, an elevated road is the better option,' he said. The option will allow free movement of small reptiles and frogs. 'Even birds will benefit, because some don't like to fly over road,' he said.

Mr Cedric Foo, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, said the decision to build an elevated road, although costlier, 'is the right direction'.

'In the early days of our development, we focused on economic development, and conservation was a luxury we could not afford. But when a country is richer, we can accommodate some of these things,' he said. 'We can't put a dollar value to natural habitat.'

The new road will alleviate current congestion along Lornie Road during peak hours and cater to expected traffic growth. It is expected to be ready by 2016. In the longer term, the area has been earmarked for housing.

After details were announced last September, various civic society groups called for the entire area - the site of some 100,000 old graves - to be spared, citing heritage and environment reasons.

Last night, after meeting Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin, seven groups including the Nature Society (Singapore) called for a moratorium on all works at Bukit Brown until discussions over alternatives to building a road have been exhausted. Nature Society's conservation committee vice-chairman Ho Hua Chew attended the meeting in place of Mr Lum.

The LTA yesterday said the new road is needed sooner, not later, citing a rise in traffic demand by up to 30 per cent by 2020. It added that internationally, few private graves are preserved by the state. But it acknowledged the heritage value of the place, and had together with the Urban Redevelopment Authority commissioned documentation of affected graves.

Alignment of road at Bukit Brown finalised
Sumita Sreedharan Today Online 19 Mar 12;

SINGAPORE - The alignment of the road to be built across Bukit Brown was finalised today, and will feature a bridge that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) says will complement the existing topography and allow for wildlife movement in the area.

The LTA said the road alignment - which has drawn criticism from those who want to see the heritage of Bukit Brown preserved - was chosen because it is the shortest route through the area and required no acquisition of private property.

The 670-metre bridge will make up one-third of its length. Under the finalised road alignment, which was gazetted today, less graves will also be affected.

3,746 graves from Bukit Brown and 194 graves from the Seh Ong cemetery will be affected by the new road. The LTA had originally estimated that 5,000 graves would have to make way.

Next-of-kin of graves affected by the new road have until the end of this year to register their claim to the affected graves with the LTA before the public exhumation begins early next year. Public exhumation was originally slated for the forth quarter of this year.

Registration can be done by post, fax, online, or in person and a full list of affected graves will be published in the newspapers and be available online on the LTA homepage.