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Seletar Expressway (SLE)

Seletar Expressway (SLE) is one of the nine high-capacity expressways in Singapore built to cater to increasing flow of traffic on the roads of Singapore. It connects Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) in Woodlands to the junction of Tampines Expressway (TPE) and Central Expressway (CTE) in Yio Chu Kang. Construction of the twelve km expressway was fully completed in 1998, at a total cost of S$150 million.

History
The decision to build a stretch of road to link Woodlands in the north to the Central Expressway in Yio Chu Kang was made in the 1980s. Construction of this expressway, the Seletar Expressway, was completed in two phases. In the first phase, the road between Yio Chu Kang Road and Upper Thomson Road was laid. Built at a cost of S$76 million, this five kilometre expressway provided a direct link for the residents of Yishun to the city. The expressway was officially opened by the Senior Minister of State (National Development and Home Affairs) Lee Boon Yang on 24 March 1990. Motorists began using the road from 4:30 pm onwards that day.

The second phase of the SLE, from Upper Thomson Road to the Bukit Timah Expressway, makes for another important link as it connects Yishun New Town and Woodlands New Town. Construction of this seven km road began in 1992 and was completed in 1998. This road was built in five different stages with six contracts awarded by the Public Works Department for various jobs in road laying. The first stage, which began in July 1992, involved the construction of an interchange at the junction of SLE and BKE at the cost of S$15 million. Construction of this interchange was completed in 1994. Subsequently, the second stage of construction involved the laying of a two kilometre stretch of road from the interchange to Woodlands Ave 2. Built at the cost of S$30.5 million, this portion of SLE was opened to motorists on 5 December 1995. It provided a speedy link for residents of Woodlands housing estate to the BKE. The third stage of construction, completed in July 1996 at a cost of S$7.6 million, connects Woodlands Ave 2 to Lorong Gambas. In the fourth stage, the road was extended at a cost of S$15.3 million. The contract for the construction of this stage was awarded to Wee Poh Construction Company and the job was completed in May 1997. The final phase of construction involved the linking of the SLE built in the first and second phases at Upper Thomson Road. This stretch of the SLE, built at a cost of S$68 million, was officially opened on 22 February 1998 when the guest of honour John Chen, Minister of State (Communications), flagged off 30 eager motorists at Upper Thomson Road. The construction of the last link also signified the completion of a network joining all the existing expressways in Singapore.

Description
The SLE is a scenic stretch of road with lots of greeneries on its either side. The Upper Seletar Reservoir is situated along a large stretch of land at the junction of SLE and Mandai Road. Significant constructions along the expressway include housing units of the Woodlands New Town and the Nee Soon Camp.

The SLE is linked to the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) via the CTE, while the TPE connects it to the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) in Changi.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References 
Detour on the SLE. (1993, September 13). The Business Times, p. 2.

Final $68m stretch of SLE ready. (1998, February 23). The Straits Times, p. 26.

Lee, H. G. (1992, May 4). Work on second phase of SLE to begin this year. The Straits Times, p. 28.

Nathan, D. (1991, September 22). CTE tunnels open, more being planned. The Straits Times, p. 1.

New Seletar Expressway will be opened to traffic today. (1990, March 24). The Straits Times, p. 21.

Opening of Seletar Expressway. (1998, February 21). The Straits Times, p. 37.

Progress of Seletar Expressway. (1992, July 28). The Business Times, p. 2. 

Seletar Expressway. (1995, December 6). The Straits Times, p. 1.

Seletar Expressway contract awarded. (1995, June 8). The Straits Times, p. 38.

Seletar Expressway opens direct link with city for Yishun residents. (1990, March 25}. The Straits Times, p. 18.

When work will start. (1983, March 17). The Straits Times.

Work on SLE/BKE interchange begins. (1992, July 29). The Straits Times, p. 20. 

The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Commerce and Industry>>Transportation
Express highways--Singapore
Roads--Singapore
Science and technology>>Engineering>>Transportation engineering

Librarian Recommendations
>> Tampines Expressway (TPE)
>> Central Expressway
>> Seletar Reservoir


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