Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)


Singapore's tenth expressway, The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), will open to traffic from 9.00 am on Sunday, 29 December 2013. It will be the strategic east-west high capacity road link between Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), East Coast Parkway (ECP) and the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE). Spanning 5 kilometers, some 3.6 kilometers of MCE underground and it has 420 meter long tunnel below the seabed, a first of its kind in Singapore.

A five-lane expressway in both directions, MCE will link motorists directly to the heart of the downtown at Marina South through the new connections with Central Boulevard, Marina Boulevard and Maxwell Road.

Road changes with the opening of The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)

The MCE will free up land space occupied by a portion of ECP now. The space is in Marina downtown area and is a prime land. The section of ECP to be removed is from Marina Boulevard to Prince Edwards Road. A stretch of ECP west of Benjamin Sheares Bridge will be converted to a major arterial road and will be renamed as Sheares Avenue. This will bring traffic from the ECP directly into Central Business District (CBD) and connect with Central Boulevard and Marina Boulevard.

Drivers will use Fort Road interchange to connect directly to MCE to travel to the city or to the west of Singapore. Existing connections to ECP towards city from the Fort Road will be removed due to insufficient distance for safe filtering into the expressway when the MCE opens.

To join the ECP further to east, drivers will have alternatives such as via Nicoll Highway or travel on East Coast Park Service Road to make u-turn.

Those using Ophir Road to get to Sheares Avenue will first have to enter the CBD before they can get to the MCE. Motorists exiting MCE to Central Boulevard and using Sheares Avenue to connect to the Rochar Road exit will also have to enter the CBD first.

The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) map
The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) map
Motorists Hand Guide to The Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE)

Drivers coming from KPE and continueing to AYE can take KPE - MCE - AYE route. Drivers coming from ECP and driving to AYE can take ECP - Exit 14B - MCE - AYE route.

Motorists driving from AYE to ECP can follow AYE - MCE - Exit 5 - ECP route. Motorists coming from AYE and heading to KPE can follow AYE - MCE - KPE route.

Drivers coming from AYE and driving to Marina Bay Finance Center (MBFC) area can use the following routes:
  • AYE - MCE - Exit 2 - Central Boulevard
  • AYE - Exit 2B (AYE) - Keppel Road - Anson Road
  • AYE - CTE - Exit 2 (CTE) - Merhand Road
Drivers coming from AYE and driving to Raffles Place / Shenton Way can use the following routes:

  • AYE - MCE - Exit 2 - Central Boulevard
  • AYE - Exit 2B (AYE) - Keppel Road - Anson Road
  • AYE - CTE - Exit 2 (CTE)  - Merchand Road
Drivers coming from AYE and driving to Suntec / Marina Center can use AYE - MCE - Exit 2 - Central Boulevard - Bayfront Avenue.

For drivers coming from AYE and driving to Maxwell Road there is no change in travel route. And for drivers coming from Maxwell Road and driving to AYE there is also no change in travel route.

Drivers coming from Marina Bay Finance Center (MBFC) area to AYE can use the following routes:
  • Marina Boulevard - MCE - AYE
  • Shenton Way - Keppel Road - AYE
  • Merchand Road - CTE - AYE
Drivers coming from Raffles Place / Shenton Way to AYE can use the following routes:
  • Marina Boulevard - MCE - AYE
  • Shenton Way - Keppel Road - AYE
  • Merchand Road - CTE - AYE
Drivers coming from Suntec / Marina Center and driving to AYE can use Bayfront Avenue - Marina Boulevard - MCE - AYE route.

From KPE/ECP to Marina Bay Finance Center (MBFC) area:

  • KPE - MCE- Exit 3 - Central Boulevard
  • KPE - Exit 1 - ECP - Sheares Avenue - Central Boulevard
  • ECP - Sheares Avenue - Central Boulevard

From KPE/ECP to Raffles Place / Shenton Way:
  • KPE - MCE- Exit 3 - Central Boulevard
  • KPE - Exit 1 - ECP - Sheares Avenue - Central Boulevard
  • ECP - Sheares Avenue - Central Boulevard
From KPE/ECP to Suntec/Marina Center:
  • ECP - Exit 15 - Rochor Road - Temasek Boulevard
  • KPE - Exit 1 - ECP - Exit 15 - Rochor Road - Temasek Boulevard
From KPE/ECP to Maxwell Road:
  • KPE - MCE- Exit 1 - Maxwell Road
  • ECP - Exit 14B - MCE - Exit 1 - Maxwell road
From Marina Bay Finance Center (MBFC) are to ECP/KPE:
  • Marina Boulevard - MCE - Exit 5 - ECP (Changi)
  • Marina Boulevard - MCE - KPE
  • Marina Boulevard - Sheares Avenue - ECP - ECP (Changi) or KPE
From Raffles Place / Shenton Way to ECP/KPE:
  • Marina Boulevard - MCE - Exit 5 - ECP (Changi)
  • Marina Boulevard - MCE - KPE
  • Marina Boulevard - Sheares Avenue - ECP - ECP (Changi) or KPE
From Suntec / Marina Center to ECP/KPE the route is Republic Boulevard - Ophir Road - ECP - ECP (Changi) or KPE.

From Maxwell Road to ECP / KPE the route is Maxwell Road - MCE - Exit 5 - ECP (Changi) or Maxwell Road - MCE - KPE.

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