Anak Bukit Flyover first road to have permanent noise barriers

The Straits Times reported that the Anak Bukit Flyover in Bukit Timah will be the first road in Singapore to get permanent noise barriers.

Construction of the barriers - measuring six metres in height and 225 metres in length - began yesterday and will be completed in October, bringing some relief to nearby residents who have complained about noise pollution. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that this is part of a trial to assess the effectiveness of such barriers in reducing traffic noise.

It will also finish installing similar structures along the West Coast Highway near Block 44, Telok Blangah Drive, by the middle of next year. The new flyover being built along Braddell Road near Block 138, Bishan Street 12, will also get the barriers some time in 2016.

These three locations were selected based on their high traffic volumes and noise levels, explained the LTA.

The barriers are made of a combination of transparent and absorptive panels. The latter are lined internally with rock wool, a material commonly used to absorb sound. These barriers will cost about $3.8 million in total, a spokesman added.