Farrer Road logjam set to run its course
Work on MRT station ending soon, bringing relief and hopefully pick-up in business
By Sumita Sreedharan
The logjam in Farrer Road looks set to clear at year-end.
That is when major works to build the Farrer MRT station - the cause of the congestion - are expected to be completed.
Already, the stretch of Farrer Road - towards Bukit Timah - has been straightened.
The other stretch - bound for Holland Road - remains one of twists and turns, choking up traffic during peak hours.
This estimated 1.6km stretch of Farrer Road, in the vicinity of Queen's Road and Empress Road, used to be straight before work started on the Circle Line MRT station.
The contract for building the station was awarded in 2004.
A Land Transport Authority spokesman said that with most of the structural works for the station due for completion, all affected roads will be back to their original state by the end of this year.
It will also widen the affected section of Farrer Road from three to four lanes in both directions.
That is good news for residents like Ms Jenny Lim, 41, an administrative assistant, who said going to work has been a headache. But with an MRT station coming up, 'all the time I've wasted stuck in jams will be for a good reason'.
Businessmen in the area cannot wait for the changes to come. Take Mr Mohd Sani, 57, who has run Farrer's Salon for 32 years at Block 4 Queen's Road. 'With all the construction, our businesses have been affected,' he said of his and other tenants' takings.
Things were made worse when a collective sale of Farrer Court in 2007 led to residents of the 618 units moving out.
Which is why businessman Alvin Gan is pinning his hopes on the MRT station, slated to open next year, to give a booster shot.
'It will definitely be more convenient for our customers to visit our shop then,' said the owner of Piore, which sells organic and natural products. He runs the 21- month-old shop with his sister.
Tenants said the HDB reduced rent a year ago to provide some relief.
An HDB spokesman said the 25 per cent rent rebate will continue till the major construction works are completed.
But there has only been a minimal impact on property prices.
'Most buyers tend to be familiar with the nearby amenities and the fact that Farrer Road is just minutes from town overrides the short-term inconvenience of road works,' said Mr Adam Tan, corporate communications and marketing manager of PropNex Realty.
Property watchers expect prices to rise once the MRT station is up and running.
'Even for those who plan to move out of the area, they are holding on, or waiting for the road works to be completed. They know that the property can then command a higher price,' said Mr Tan.
sumitas@sph.com.sg
Farrer Road, with one stretch back on the straight while the opposite is still in twists and turns. But this is expected to be straightened by the end of the year. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
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Elsewhere...
· CTE
Widening of the Central Expressway (CTE) started in mid-2008 between Ang Mo Kio Avenues 1 and 3. It was completed in July last year.
The Land Transport Authority is now widening four stretches, involving seven flyovers and construction of a new pair of flyovers between the PIE and Braddell Road.
There will be four lanes in both directions of the CTE (from Bukit Timah to Yio Chu Kang roads) when the project is completed at end-2011.
· Eunos Link
Work to widen Eunos Link and Jalan Eunos (from Airport Road to Sims Avenue) from three to four lanes in both directions is slated for completion by the end of this year.
Source: LTA
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