Grace Chua Straits Times 22 Oct 10;
A LOW-LYING stretch of Orchard Road will be raised by an average of 30cm in a $26 million bid to stave off future floods.
The 1.4km stretch of road that will be affected runs from Orchard Parade Hotel to Cairnhill.
In some areas, such as at the junction with Scotts Road, the road and its surroundings may be raised by as much as 50cm to prevent rainwater from overflowing onto the roads.
The works will also include the re-tiling of pedestrian malls at crossings, and raising existing bus shelters and other facilities like ERP gantries and traffic lights.
Work will begin next month and is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
The plans were announced by national water agency PUB yesterday. To minimise disruption, most of the work will be carried out between midnight and 5am.
'With Orchard Road being Singapore's prime shopping and tourism belt, it is important that we give this iconic area an additional protection measure against such flash floods,' said Mr Yap Kheng Guan, senior director at PUB.
The improvement works are among a slew of measures being adopted to prevent a recurrence of the floods that deluged parts of the iconic shopping district in June and July this year.
The floods occurred after a bout of unusually intense rainfall over a few hours. The basements and carparks of buildings like Liat Towers, Delfi Orchard and Lucky Plaza were flooded. Retailers suffered millions of dollars in damage.
The capacity of the 4km-long Stamford Canal, which runs just beneath Orchard Road, was pegged as a key factor in the floods. But widening or deepening the canal was not feasible because the area is already heavily built-up. Raising the road is an alternative.
Increasing the road level by an average of 30cm will put it above the level of the canal, said Mr Yap. That will prevent water from overflowing onto the road.
Although flood levels rose above the half-metre mark in some areas in June, the 30cm average should be sufficient as the flood water will be contained within the drainage canals.
As long as water keeps flowing in those canals, it will not collect in pools of greater than 30cm, said PUB officials.
As an additional measure, the top of the canal will be sealed off along the sides so that water will be contained inside, to be conveyed towards Marina Reservoir.
PUB did not say where precisely the works will start. But it said roads and pedestrian walkways would be kept fairly smooth as the work will be done in stages.
For instance, where a part of the road is higher than the surrounding carriageway, temporary ramps can be put in place for cars to cross. Temporary bus stops may also be set up, and planks will be laid to allow pedestrians to use crossings while work is in progress.
PUB also assured the public that there would be 'minimal disruption' during the festive light-up period from Nov 20 to Jan 2. It added that it would stop work during occasions such as New Year's Eve if necessary.
In the longer term, PUB is studying measures such as water-retention ponds, or diversion canals like the one currently being constructed in Bukit Timah.
Civil engineering professor Cheong Hin Fatt of the National University of Singapore said raising the road level was one way to mitigate flooding.
'First, you must remove the water as fast as possible,' he said. 'It has to drain away somewhere.'
He explained that such a project was complex, and that engineers needed to study the entire landscape in detail before deciding by how much to raise the road.
'Factors such as the terrain, what is around you, whether the areas are paved or not, how big you have to size openings to collect water and take it to the drains, all affect it,' he said.
As part of its measures to cut flood-prone areas in Singapore, the PUB has planned some 16 drainage improvement projects in places like Bukit Timah, Little India and Telok Kurau. By 2013, these are set to reduce flood-prone areas to 40ha, down from 62ha this year.
About $150 million is spent each year on upgrading drainage infrastructure and, over the last 30 years, the Government has spent $2 billion on such works.
The annual maintenance budget for Singapore's 7,000km of drains and canals has also been doubled to $23 million since 2007.
Precautionary measures
# A 1.4 km stretch of Orchard Road will be raised by an average of 30 cm
# This will serve as an added layer of protection against future floods since it will be elevated higher than Stamford Canal
# In some places, such as the low-lying Scotts Road junction, the road level will be raised by half a metre
# Bus stops, pedestrian crossings, manholes, traffic lights, lamp-posts and other road facilities will also be raised
# Most work will be done between midnight and 5am
# The entire project will cost $26 million
# It will start in November and end in the second quarter of next year
# For the long term, PUB is studying other measures like constructing diversion canals and retention ponds
# For information and steps to take during a flood, members of the public can call PUB's 24-hour call centre at 1800-284 6600 or visit its website at www.pub.gov.sg
Retailers pleased but worry about impact
Straits Times 22 Oct 10;
ORCHARD Road retailers and shoppers welcomed the PUB's project to raise road levels announced yesterday but were concerned about how it would affect traffic and business.
Mr Steven Goh, executive director of the Orchard Road Business Association, said: 'We see this as a necessary enhancement to protect against future floods, even though there's no solution that's 100 per cent certain (to succeed).'
But the association did anticipate some inconvenience to visitors and stakeholders during the $26 million project to raise road levels and their surroundings by an average of 30cm.
'The PUB has to work with us and stakeholders to minimise impact, noise and dust and ensure that the shopping experience is not compromised,' Mr Goh said.
For instance, shopping malls along the 1.4km stretch of road that will be affected may be concerned over whether cars could enter and exit carparks smoothly, he said.
The Singapore Marriott Hotel, situated at the Scotts Road junction of Orchard Road, welcomed the improvement works, but expressed concern about noise from the work affecting guests.
Retailers in the area also wanted clear communication channels with national water agency PUB, to keep them informed of the sequence of work as well as what to expect and when.
The PUB contract to raise Orchard Road, however, has not yet been awarded.
Fast-food chain Wendy's, whose Liat Towers basement outlet was wrecked by floods earlier this year, was worried that the work might block shop frontage.
Mr Chik Hai Lam, supervisor at Goldvein, which owns Liat Towers, said the management had not heard from the PUB yet about details of the new measures.
As for Orchard Road shoppers and those who work in the area, they largely welcomed the road-raising as long as it did not affect traffic.
More will receive flood alerts
Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 22 Oct 10;
RESIDENTS in flood-prone areas will be alerted to prepare for the north-east monsoon, due to arrive next month.
Over the next few weeks, national water agency PUB will hand out 200 flood advisories to residents living in flood-prone areas, such as Fort Road and Mountbatten Road in Katong.
The advisory, like those handed out in previous years, will detail high-tide times which, when coinciding with heavy rain, can lead to flash floods in low-lying areas.
This year, more residents will receive the advisory as the list of flood-prone areas has grown to 71 in August from 52 in July. New areas identified include Arab Street and Jalan Boon Lay.
The PUB has also added to its website a new 'managing flash floods' microsite which includes an interactive map showing the water levels in canals across Singapore at 10-minute intervals. The site went up at the end of August following flooding in June and July.
When a drain hits 75 per cent full, there is a high risk of flooding. By the end of the year, a further 60 sensors will be added to the 32 already in operation to improve water-level monitoring in canals and drains.
The site also includes advice on how to react in the event of a flood, such as preparing to evacuate by turning off the mains and disconnecting electrical appliances. In addition, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will issue heavy rain warnings on its website and in the media.
The north-east monsoon begins in mid-November and ends in mid-March, with most rain falling in December and January. The most recent monsoon was drier than usual with only 67.6mm rainfall recorded in January, compared to the monthly average of 244mm.
But some people are not taking any chances. Mr Sunny Giam, 81, who lives in Opera Estate, has sandbags provided by PUB permanently stacked around his doorway. He is constantly on the alert, after having to replace his bed and fridge following the June flood.
'When I saw the rain yesterday, I took four or five sandbags to fill up the gap left in the sandbag wall so I can get in and out of my house,' he said.
National University of Singapore climatologist Matthias Roth said the north- east monsoon season is characterised by consistent winds from the north-west with cloudy periods and extensive rainfall. 'The north-east monsoon period is typically the wettest period of the year. The coming monsoon period could bring above-average rainfall because the current La Nina event is predicted to persist into spring 2011,' he said.
La Nina refers to cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean which brings wetter weather to the region.
This weather phenomenon has been blamed for the wetter weather seen in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore from June to August.
Average rainfall is 255.5mm in November, 288.9mm in December and 244mm in January.
PUB to elevate part of Orchard Rd
It will be raised 30cm on average to prevent flooding
Zul Othman Today Online 22 Oct 10;
SINGAPORE - The flash flood that affected Singapore's prime shopping belt earlier this year will, hopefully, be consigned to memory as the national water agency PUB said yesterday it will be raising a low-lying stretch along Orchard Road.
The approximately 1.4km stretch between Orange Grove Road and Cairnhill Road will be raised by an average of 30cm to prevent a repeat of the June 16 flood that severely disrupted business and traffic.
Apart from elevating the road, other measures include the re-tiling of pedestrian malls at crossings, and raising existing bus shelters and affected road facilities such as ERP gantries, traffic lights, lamp posts, signs and manholes.
The massive $26-million project is scheduled to begin next month and is expected to end by the second quarter of next year.
Orchard Road saw one of the worst floods in Singapore's history in June. Roads and buildings were inundated following multiple intense rain showers, and the adjacent Stamford Canal overflowed and flooded the road, especially at the junction with Scotts Road.
Once Orchard Road is raised, water will be contained within the 4km Stamford Canal and carried towards Marina Reservoir, said the PUB.
If a storm similar to the one in June were to hit Singapore again, "we would be okay", said Mr Yap Kheng Guan, PUB director for the 3P (public, private and people) Network Department, at a media briefing yesterday.
Adding that the bulk of the upgrading work will be done at the Scotts Road junction, Mr Yap said: "By raising the road, we will be keeping the road higher and above the water level."
The PUB sought to allay fears of snarled traffic and disruption to business once construction gets underway.
Mr Yap said that the road work will be "carried out at night, during non-peak hours, and in stages to ensure that the roads remain accessible to pedestrians and impact on traffic flow is kept to a minimum".
"A lot of care and planning has gone into the planning to minimise the inconvenience to businesses here," added Mr Yap.
To that end, the PUB is working closely with agencies including the Land Transport Authority, National Environment Agency and Singapore Tourism Board, as well as the Orchard Road Business Association.
Retailers, who lost millions of dollars in the flood, are keeping their fingers crossed.
Said an employee at Liat Towers: "Even though they said they are doing the work at night, will it prevent disruptions in the day?"
Customers might want to avoid the hassle of all the construction activity and stay away, he added.
Ms Lina Lim, 30, a sales executive, agreed. "I am sure there will be road diversions so I might give the area a miss."
Still, a Lucky Plaza shop owner, whose premises was damaged by the flood, said he was "certainly looking forward" to the road work. In fact, the PUB "should have done (it) a long time ago", he said.
While the road work will help prevent flooding, the authorities said that building owners will still need to install measures like barriers to protect their premises.
According to the PUB, another 16 drainage improvement projects - in flood-prone areas like Bukit Timah, Upper Aljunied Road, Geylang and Syed Alwi Road - are in the pipeline. It aims to reduce flood-prone areas from 62 hectares to 40 hectares by 2013.
Members of the public can call the PUB hotline 1800-284-6600 for queries pertaining to the road work.
PUB to raise road levels in Orchard
Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 21 Oct 10;
SINGAPORE: A 1.4 kilometre low-lying stretch in Orchard Road will be raised to protect it against flash floods.
On June 16, Singapore's premier shopping belt was hit by one of the worst floods in recent history when the Stamford Canal, designed to discharge excess water to the sea, could not cope with two successive bursts of intense rainfall, causing rainwater to overflow onto the roads.
National water agency PUB said the problem does not lie with the canal as it is serving its purpose.
The authorities decided to raise the level of Orchard Road by an average of 30 centimetres to prevent rainwater from overflowing onto the roads.
Some parts will be raised up to 50 centimetres.
The decision to raise the level by 30 centimetres is based on the water level which overflowed during the flash floods in June.
The road raised will start from the junction opposite the Heeren and stretch to Orchard Parade Hotel after the Scotts Road junction.
Works on the $26 million project will start in November and is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2011.
The works will also include the re-tiling of pedestrian malls at crossings, raising existing bus shelters and other affected facilities like ERP gantries and traffic lights.
Works will be carried out only at night to minimise disruption
The PUB said raising road levels is a tried and tested solution on Singapore.
Yap Kheng Guan, Senior Director, PUB, said: "On 16 June, the canal overflowed [and] the water spilled out on the roads and stayed on the roads. By raising the road, we will be keeping the road higher than the top of the canal level and above the water level in the canal. The water will be confined in the canal and move along and be discharged that way".
Retailers in Lucky Plaza who were affected by the floods welcomed the move.
"I hope it will help the situation and prevent any further flooding and really solve the problem," said a retailer.
PUB said that there is not guarantee that the flash floods will never happen again.
Authorities said while the latest improvement works will help prevent water from overflowing onto the road, building owners will still need to install measures such as barriers to protect their premises against flash floods.
One of the affected buildings, Liat Towers, has already started works to install flood water barriers.
The building management hopes the installation will be completed by November.
PUB said flood prone areas in Singapore currently cover about 62 hectares and the target is to reduce the areas to 40ha in 4 to 5 years' time. - CNA/fa
Orchard Rd to get $26m road-raising to prevent floods
Emilyn Yap Business Times 22 Oct 10;
(SINGAPORE) National water agency PUB is spending $26 million to raise a low-lying stretch of Orchard Road and other facilities to keep the area from flooding.
The height of a 1.4 km section of Orchard Road - from Orange Grove Road to Cairnhill Road - will increase by a range of 20-50 cm, or an average of 30 cm.
Some adjoining roads, basement carpark entrances and facilities such as bus stops and traffic lights will have to be raised correspondingly. Pedestrian walkways at certain road crossings will also have to be re-tiled.
When works are completed, the road will be at a higher level compared with Stamford Canal. This keeps rainwater from overflowing from the canal onto the road, PUB said.
Road-raising is a 'tried and proven' method of preventing floods in Singapore and was used for Kim Seng Road and other areas, said PUB senior director Yap Kheng Guan at a briefing yesterday.
The agency believes that the project will prevent future flash floods brought on by intense rainfall similar to that seen on June 16. That day, more than 100 mm of rain - exceeding 60 per cent of the monthly average for June - fell between 9 am and 11 am.
Liat Towers, Lucky Plaza, Delfi Orchard and Tong Building were badly hit as water surged into their stores or basements.
Mr Yap pointed out that it would be unrealistic to say that Orchard Road would be entirely flood-proof. According to him, the works should 'take care of a storm event of the likes of June 16', but 'we can't predict what the sky will bring'.
He added that the canal system has generally worked well. 'If we want to go for a higher level of protection, obviously we will have to look at options that will maybe require even larger trade-offs, bigger investments and so on.'
Widening the canal was not a feasible option because the surroundings are heavily built-up, Mr Yap also said.
PUB will start raising Orchard Road next month and expects to finish the project by the second quarter of next year. To minimise disruption, it will carry out works in stages, from midnight to 5 am. There will be no need to close Orchard Road, Mr Yap said.
In the meantime, PUB is studying longer term measures to protect the area from floods. These include the creation of diversion canals and retention ponds. 'The feasibility of these options has to be evaluated against cost effectiveness and competing land use,' it said.
Mr Yap said that PUB is also working with the building managements of the four properties affected by the flood in June to help them implement flood protection measures. Liat Towers' barrier system against floods should be ready in December, he said.
PUB expects to spend $150 million annually for the next five years to upgrade drainage infrastructure.